Variation among seed sources in pod and seed traits of Acacia catechu

Introduction

Acacia catechu, commonly known as Khair, belongs to the Fabaceae family and occurs in tropical, subtropical and warm regions of the world (Jhilta et al., 2019) [1] . It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, attaining a height of 12-15 m and a girth of 60-90 cm, with a clear bole of 2-3 m that is usually crooked (Troup, 1921) [2] . Khair is the principal source of tannin, one of the most valuable forest products traded internationally (Singh and Lal, 2006) [3] . The heartwood yields cutch and katha, which possess significant restorative value. These products are cooling, stomach-related and astringent in nature and are used to treat ailments such as chronic diarrhea and loose bowels. Kheersal is used to treat asthma, cough and sore throat, among other chest-related problems (Kar et al., 2020) [4] . In Jammu & Kashmir, Khair is distributed in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi and Rajouri, collectively known as the rainfed Kandi belt. Acacia catechu grows well on degraded lands and is suitable for community plantations (Jha and Mandal, 2019) [5] . Variation in nursery performance begins with seed sowing and germination, which are influenced by pod and seed characters (Selvan and Gueleria, 2012) [6] . To promote Khair cultivation on public and private lands, the supply of high-quality planting material is essential. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess morphological variability among different seed sources of Acacia catechu to identify superior sources for farmers, researchers and tree improvement programmes.

Materials and Methods

The present study, entitled "Variation among Seed Sources in Pod and Seed Traits of Acacia catechu" was carried out in the Division of Silviculture & Agroforestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Jammu. The site is situated in the subtropical region of Jammu, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, at an altitude of 332 m above mean sea level, with geographical coordinates of 32°40′ N latitude and 74°58′ E longitude. The morphological parameters of the selected seed sources, such as pod length (mm), pod breadth (mm), 100-pod weight (g), number of seeds pod -1 , seed length(mm), seed breadth (mm), seed thickness (mm) and 100-seed weight (g) were measured using a digital caliper and electronic weighing balance, respectively. The statistical analysis was performed on the mean values using the 'R' software.

Results and Discussion

Significant variation was observed among seed sources for all pod and seed traits (Table 1). Pod length ranged from 56.76 mm in SS17 to 82.72 mm in SS25. The maximum pod breadth (14.09 mm) was recorded in SS20, while the minimum (11.23 mm) occurred in SS10. The highest 100-pod weight was observed in SS16 (23.34 g), whereas the lowest was recorded in SS17 (18.37 g). The number of seeds pod⁻¹ varied from 2.58 in SS09 to 4.65 in SS20. Seed length ranged from 6.01 mm (SS10) to 7.79 mm (SS25), while seed breadth varied between 4.85 mm (SS02) and 6.86 mm (SS25). Seed thickness ranged from 1.11 mm in SS17 to 1.60 mm in SS25. The highest 100-seed weight was recorded in SS20 (3.65 g), whereas the lowest was observed in SS17 (2.28 g). The present findings are in agreement with Todaria et al. (2004) [7] , who reported considerable diversity among Acacia catechu seed sources. Similar trends of variation have also been reported in A. catechu by Gera and Gera (2012) [8] , Kumar et al. (2004) [9] and Selvan and Guleria (2012) [10] .

Conclusion

The study concludes that SS₂₅ and SS₁₄ are identified as superior and recommended for plantation, agroforestry and tree improvement programmes, owing to their consistent performance across key pod, seed and genetic parameters, which makes them suitable for large-scale deployment and quality planting material production.

References

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