Seedlings derived from 24 open-pollinated progenies from Quedas do Rio Bonito State Park, Lavras, MG, were used to estimate the genetic parameters concerning the quality of candeia root system. Two months after germination, optical scanning images of new seedling roots were obtained for each progeny, distributed into three size classes (large, medium and small). These roots were stained with 0.1% astra blue for 15 min and then analyzed. The results showed significant differences between stained and non-stained root samples indicating the need for root staining before the analysis. The analysis of variance also showed significant differences among progenies and size classes, which were analyzed considering the following traits: total root length, root surface area, mean diameter and the number of fine roots. The expected genetic gain with selection showed that these traits must be studied in grown seedlings as they showed the largest expected gains.
Genetic improvement; root measurement; genetic gain
