Variability Study Analysis for Half-sib Families under Control Environmental Conditions in Neolamarckia cadamba (Kadamb)

Abstract

Neolamarckia cadamba is a widespread medium-sized deciduous forest tree over most of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Twenty-half-sib progenies of kadamb (Neolamarckia cadamba) from various regions in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh were sown in a glasshouse in 2022 in order to assess the genetic diversity using non-hierarchical Euclidean cluster analysis. Significant variation was seen in the biomass and morphological traits of a few plus trees. Under greenhouse conditions, significant differences were seen in the growth parameters of plus tree progenies. Six clusters were formed from the twenty NPTs, according to the genetic divergence analysis. Clusters V and VI were found to have the greatest inter-cluster distance (5.530). The cluster (4.258) displayed the highest intra-cluster distance. As a result, there was a genetic divergence between clusters. Therefore, in order to obtain high-yielding genotypes in Neolamarckia cadamba, hybridization involving trees of clusters VI and V is advised. Collar diameter was a major factor in the creation of genetic diversity and contributed the most to the overall divergence. The superior plus trees of cluster V (NPT4, NPT5, NPT11, NPT12, NPT13, NPT17) and cluster VI (NPT18, NPT19, NPT20) may be taken into consideration as possible parents for a future tree improvement program in Neolamarckia cadamba due to their high cluster mean and large genetic distance.