Provenance variation in pod, seed and seedling traints of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb., Central Himalaya, India

Seeds collected from 19 different altitudinal sources ranging from 120 to 1130m were evaluated for pod/seed morphology, seed weight, seed germination and seedling growth in nursery and also in field trial. Considerable morphological and physiological variations between provenances for all the pod and seed traits including germination, plant height and collar diameter were found among the seed sources. Among various parameters, seed weight and plant height were most heritable traits, followed by genetic advance and genetic gain. Characters those showed greater genetic influence can be directly screened/selected for the improvement of this potential tree species in Central Himalaya, India for raising quality plating material.

Key words: Dalbergia sissoo; morphological characters; seed source; heritability; genetic variation.

DOI: 10.4038/tare.v11i0.1786

Tropical Agricultural Research and Extension Vol.11 2008 pp39-44