The Santa Catarina State Agricultural Research and Extensios Organization - Epagri SA, owns one of the largest Brazilian colletions or erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St.Hil.). Preliminary agronomic trials identified two promissing erva-mate materials named Barão de Cotegipe and Água Doce. Different tastes within each material were also identified, i.e. tastes with different grades of bitterness, apparently associated with the shape of leaves (CL - short and wide; LE - long and narrow). This study aimed to associate this plant patterns using molecular markers with plant origins and desirable fenotipic characteristics such as plant height, crown diameter, leaf density, plant survival, regrowth behaviour, within each taste group. For this molecular markers which amplify DNA of RAPD type (Random Amplified Polimorphic DNA) was used. The results did not allow, with the number of starters used as molecular markers, the genetic definition of the caracter taste, even though the results suggested so.
Ilex paraguariensis; molecular markers; genetic variability; PCR; RAPD; DNA; biothecnology
