EVALUATION OF GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF 95 PROGENIES OF ACACIA CATECHU WILLD. AND THEIR CONSERVATION IN FIELD GENE BANK AT HOSHIARPUR (PUNJAB), INDIA

摘要

Field gene bank of Acacia catechu from 95 progenies has been established and maintained at Hoshiarpur for its germplasm conservation. Seeds were collected from 95 individual trees of 18 provenances from five states viz. U.P., Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab and J & K of India almost covering its natural distribution zone. Seeds were sown directly in the nursery beds, and 35 days old seedlings were raised in polythene bags for one growing season in the nursery at Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Theseedlings of all the 95 progenies were then transplanted in the field at Kharkan (Hoshiarpur, Punjab) in about 2 ha land following randomized block design (simple pair design). The data on growth and survival were recorded at the 2 years old seedlings after transplanting in the field. Significant variation was observed among all the progenies for all observed characters. The best average growth was observed in the progenies of Morinda, Mahendrowal, and Sarna (Punjab), Pinjore (Haryana), Basoli (J&K) and Shivpuri & Haridwar (Uttaranchal) provenances. However, minimum growth was observed in the progenies of Manjhi-1, Sathyal (Punjab), Darpur (Haryana), Ranibagh (Uttaranchal) and Chiriyapur (Uttar Pradesh) provenances.