Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding 2015, Vol.5, No.1, 1
-
8
1
Research Article Open Access
Comparative Performance of Natural Rubber (
Hevea Brasiliensis
) Polyclonal and
Multiclonal Bud Grafted Population in Suboptimal Environment of Odisha, India
B. Krishan
Regional Research Station, Rubber Research Institute of India, Dhenkanal 759 001, Odisha, India
Corresponding author email:
Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 2015, Vol.5, No.1 doi: 10.5376/tgmb.2015.05.0001
Received: 09 Jan., 2015
Accepted: 03 Mar., 2015
Published: 10 Mar., 2015
Copyright
©2015 Krishan B., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Krishan, 2015, Comparative Performance of Natural Rubber (
Hevea Brasiliensis
) Polyclonal and Multiclonal Bud Grafted Population in Suboptimal
Environment of Odisha, India, Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, Vol.5, No.1 1
-
8 (doi:
10.5376/tgmb.2015.05.0001
)
Abstract
The natural rubber (
Hevea brasiliensis
) yield and growth performance of polyclonal rubber seedlings
was evaluated and compared with an adjacent multiclonal population comprising of three clones RRII 105, RRIM
600 and GT1 in the dry sub humid climate of Odisha state, which experiences high temperature and low rainfall as
the major environmental constraints for the growth and yield of the crop. The study revealed that seedling
population is highly heterogeneous with respect to yield, growth and other secondary characters. Tappable girth
was attained earlier in polyclonal population as compared to multiclonal population. The Mean annual girth
increment was also higher in polyclonal population (5.95 cm) as compared to multiclonal population (3.90 cm).
Mean annual rubber yield of 34.02 g t̵
ˡ t̵
ˡ t was recorded in polyclonal population over a five years period as
compared to 25.10 g t̵
ˡ t̵
ˡ for multiclonal population. Some polyclonal seedlings genotypes are outstanding
performers, which recorded even two to threefold higher rubber yield than the mean of the multiclonal population.
Ten elite mother trees with high yield over the five year period were selected for further evaluation. The highest
mean dry rubber yield was recorded in OR2 (75.40 g t̵
ˡ t̵
ˡ) followed by OR3 (69.04 g t̵
ˡ t̵
ˡ) and OR7 (64.18 g t̵
ˡt̵
ˡ)
among the ten elite seedling mother trees. Highest yield contribution was recorded during the cold months for
polyclonal as well as multiclonal population. The highest annual girth increment before and after tapping was
recorded in OR1 (10.16 cm) and OR7 (4.68 cm), respectively. In addition to the yield and growth, the population
was assessed for bole volume, bark thickness and incidence of tapping panel dryness and wind damage.
Polyclonal population also recorded comparatively less wind damage and tapping panel dryness. Bole volume was
significantly higher (0.27 m³/tree) for polyclonal as compared to multiclonal population (0.08 m³/tree). The
present study, in a sub-optimal environment of Odisha of eastern India, reveals the large variation among the
population and ample scope for selection of promising genotypes from poly cross progeny suited to the sub
optimal environment.
Keywords
Hevea brasiliensis
; Multiclonal population; Polyclonal seedlings; Elite mother trees; Suboptimal environment;
Selection and yield
Introduction
The Para rubber tree,
Hevea brasiliensis
(Willd.ex
Adr.de Juss.) Muell. Arg. is a tropical tree native to
Amazon rainforest. More than 90 percent of the world
natural rubber is obtained from rubber tree latex
(Verheye, 2010). Rubber has been traditionally
cultivated in the equatorial region, in a zone lying
between 10˚ north and 10˚ south of the equator.
Compared to other crops, rubber is relatively new
introduction, was brought in to cultivate to India a
century ago. In the country the traditional rubber belt
(8˚ N to 12˚ N) encompasses the southern tips of the
peninsula (Sethuraj, 1989), where it provided appro-
priate environmental conditions and has been grown
on a plantation scale for nearly a century.
Early rubber plantations were generally raised using
polyclonal seedlings as planting material. Selection of
promising mother trees from existing polyclonal
seedling populations and development of primary
clones was one of the most important methods
