Factor analysis applied in genomic selection studies in the breeding of Coffea canephora

Brazil stands out worldwide in the production of coffee. The observed increases in its productivity and morpho agronomic traits are the results of the improvement of several methodologies applied in obtaining improved cultivars, among which the predictive methods of genetic value stand out. These contribute significantly to the selection of higher genotypes, increasing the genetic gain per unit time. In this context, genomic-wide selection (GWS) is a tool that stands out, since it allows predicting the future phenotype of an individual based only on molecular information. Performing joint selection of traits is the interest of most breeding programs, and factor analysis (FA) has been used to assist in this end. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of FA in the context of GWS, in genotypes of Coffea canephora. It was found that FA was efficient to elucidate the relationships between the traits and generate new variables. The factors formed can assist in the selection, as in addition to allowing joint interpretations, they present good estimates of predictive capacity, heritability and accuracy. Furthermore, high agreement was observed between the individuals selected based on the factors and those selected considering the individual traits. Additionally, it was observed agreement between the top 10% individuals selected based on the “vigor factor” and each variable individually. However, the selection based on “vigor factor” presented individuals with more suitable size from the phytotechnical point of view.