SURVEY, COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION OF GENETIC RESOURCES OF PECAN FROM HIMACHAL PRADESH

摘要

In India, mostly pecan of seedling origin has been grown in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and northern eastern states. These seedlings contribute to major production of pecan in India. Moreover, it shows wide genetic variation owing to its heterozygous and wind pollinated nature. These provide an enormous wealth for carrying out the selection and improvement in the quality of this nut to suffice the present demand of domestic and international market. Its high nutritive value, thin shelled presence of certain essential biochemical and medicinal use adds to its commercial demand. In order to identify superior genotypes with acceptable nut and kernel characteristics, an extensive survey and exploration was carried out resulting into marking of accessions for evaluation. The seedlings showed extreme variation in tree, foliage, floral, nut and kernel characters at different location. Each accession was evaluated for different descriptors resulting in identification of 36 superior accessions on the basis of tree, foliage, floral, nut and kernel characters. These accessions were conserved for further utilization as a cultivars or further improvement.