Abstract

The preliminary work on selection of candidate trees of genus Terminalia (section: Pentaptera), their progeny testing and field trial for tasar culture is communicated here. A total of one T. tomentosa, three T. arjuna and 20 spontaneous hybrids candidate trees between them were selected, their seeds were collected, progenies were raised in nursery and their characters were recorded based on field trial. Yield and yield contributing characters were recorded during field trial after one year. Progenies of candidate trees in nursery and field trial indicated significant genetic differences among the progenies. Progenies of B4, O2 and N3 candidate trees carried superior genes for all the seedling characters. While 5, 7 and 15 progenies exhibited significant differences from control progenies for number of branches and leaves per plant and plant height respectively, the progenies of 12, 2, 20, 12, 20 and 16 candidate trees exhibited significant differences for leaf breadth, L/B ratio, number of branches and leaves per plant, plant height and leaf yield respectively as compared to progenies of lower control tree.

Such differences may be due to spontaneous hybridisation and heterosis. Our findings support the view that progeny testing during nursery provides preliminary information regarding the performance of progenies in field testing and ranking of progenies may change. Genetic association of seedling characters during nursery and plant characters during field trial was studied through calculation of co-efficients which indicated that seedlings exhibiting higher leaf length, lesser leaf breadth and greater height should be selected for plantation so as to increase leaf productivity per unit area which will increase tasar silkworm rearing capacity and hence cocoon production per unit area in economic plantations of Terminalia (section : Pentaptera) genotypes.

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