MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS FOR WHEAT GENOTYPES CULTIVATED IN BRAZILIAN SAVANNA (CERRADO)

The Cerrado is an important agricultural region for the production of food, feed and (bio)fuel, with great potential for the cultivation of tropical wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, it is necessary to understand how some genotypes of that crop would fit into this biome, as well as to identify possible physiological and chemical markers that may contribute to the selection of the best plant materials. The objective of this research was to evaluate the metabolic, physiological, biometric and productive characteristics of six wheat cultivars, commonly cultivated in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, through multivariate analysis (Principal Components Analysis: PCA), in order to characterize the performance of these cultivars in the Cerrado conditions, in two years (2016 and 2017). The PCA showed that monosaccharides content (glucose and fructose) and net CO2 assimilation rate were highly correlated in both years. Significant differences in rainfall between the two years resulted in different responses of the cultivars and their respective metabolic, physiological, biometric and productive behaviour. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the CD 151 and Bio Sintonia cultivars grew better when exposed to favourable rainfall conditions, whereas BRS 264 and BRS 394 were the cultivars most suited to lower rainfall.