VARIABILITY AND P01"ENTIALS OF IDENTIFIED GERMPLASM IN BAEL (AEGLE MARMELOS CORR.)

Abstract

In an exploration for 'bael' (Aegle marmelos Corr.) germplasm from the tarai
belt of eastern Uttar Padesh and adjoining area of Bihar, twenty four genotypes
including three wild types were identified which showed wide range ofvariation for
thorniness on the stem, fruit shape, skull thickness and pulp characteristics, viz.,
colour, sweetness, taste and presence of aroma. These genotypes also exhibited a
wide range of variability for all the 6 quantitative characters recorded. The mean
values were also high for number offruits per tree, fuit yield and number ofseed per
fruit. Among these, six genotypes were ilientified as promising based on yield
potentialand fruit quality. These have bem suggested for direct utilization and also
use in improvement programmes. Three wild genotypes having small size nonedible
fruits showed very high bearing (upto 3000 fruits per tree) and thus may be
useful as suitable donor paents fo high bearing potential