Hybridization and Genetic Improvement of Mulberry Varieties

This research focused on the evaluation of Open Pollinated Varieties (OPVs) for sprouting and rooting characters growth, yield and quality for effective utilization in crop improvement for sustained mulberry biodiversity. The OPVs Alf-004, Alf018, Alf-028, S61-019, S54-019 and the Batac variety were set up in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The four year pooled data were analyzed using the Analysis of Variance across season and DMRT for further test of significance. Correlation analysis was used to determine the association among yield related characters. Number of branches per plant (NoB), length of longest shoot (LLS), plant height (PH), moisture content (MC) and moisture retention capacity (MRC). Propagation characters as to sprouting percentage (s), rooting percent ®, fresh weight of roots (FWR), fresh weight of shoots (FWS), length of roots (LR), length of shoots (LS), root to shoot ratio by weight (RSR wt), root to shoot ratio by length (RSR L) and number of root (NoR) were considered. Results revealed that the best performing mulberry OPVs based on growth, yield, quality and propagation traits are Alf-004, S61-019, S54-019, S61-011 and Alf-025. These varieties are expected to contribute towards a sustained quality mulberry leaf production and biodiversity for the silk industry’s growth and development.

 

Keywords - hybridization, genetic, mulberry varieties