STUDIES ON HETEROSIS IN SIX EUCALYPTUS SPECIES

M. Paramathma; C. Surendran; R.S. Vinaya Rai

Authors

M. Paramathma
C. Surendran
R.S. Vinaya Rai

Keywords:

Eucalyptus, combining ability, heterosis, reciprocal cross, relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis, standard heterosis

Abstract

Six species of Eucalyptus viz. E. alba, E. camaldulensis, E. microtheca, E. tereticornis, E. polycarpa and E. torelliana were subjected to a complete diallel mating. The cross between E. polycarpa and E. torelliana was characterised by post-fertilisation abortion. An evaluation of the remaining four parents and their 12 hybrids for heterosis among parents revealed E. alba and E. tereticornis to record higher than mean performance. Among the hybrids, those of E. alba x E. tereticornis registered highest heterosis for most characters.