TY  - BOOK
AU  - Rao G P
AU  - Reghu C P
TI  - Variability and character associations in different sets of the 1981 IRRDB wild Hevea germplasm in India
PB  - International Workshop on Rubber Tree Breeding, IRRDB, Brazil, 4-7 April 2011
KW  - Characterization
KW  - Conservation
KW  - Evaluation
KW  - Hevea brasiliensis
KW  - Variation
KW  - Wild germplasm
N2  - India has received a large share of the Hevea germplasm collection of the 1981 IRRDB expedition. A total of 4548 wild accessions belonging to three states of Brazil viz., Acre (AC), Rondonia (RO) and Mato Grosso (MT) are being conserved. Systematic efforts are underway for conservation, characterization, evaluation and documentation of these valuable genetic resources. Different sets of wild accessions are being evaluated parallelly in a phased manner from 1990 onwards and these on going trials are at various stages of evaluation. Here we report the salient findings of different sets of accessions from the preliminary and further evaluation stages. The present investigation revealed the existence of wide genetic variability in this collection and also significant correlations among various agronomical, morphological and yield traits. Promising accessions were selected from the preliminary studies viz., nursery/preliminary evalution trials planted in close spacing, based on early growth and test tap yield. These potential selections were put in large scale trials in normal spacing for selection of superior accessions. Accessions showing potential for girth, bark thickness and number of latex vessel rows have also been identified for incorporation in breeding programmes. These will help in broadening the narrow genetic base of cultivated rubber
ER  -