Intra-Population Variation in Mahua (Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia Roxb. A. Chev.) for Fruit, Seed and Germination Traits

Experiment was designed to understand the intra-population variation for fruit, seed and germination attributes of Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia (mahua) - a high value tropical tree species. Study was carried out in two years (2015 and 2016). Seed lots of identified open pollinated mother trees (10) were segregated and used for study. Fruit and seed traits like length, thickness and weight showed significant variation among open pollinated mother trees. Trees coded as MLLMG-3, MLLMG-4 and MLLMG-9 comparatively recorded with large seeds. Germination percentage, germination rate index, mean daily germination, peak value of germination, germination value mean germination time showed significant variation. Pooled analysis showed that there was no significant effect of collection period (year to year) on fruit, seed and germination traits except fruit length. Further, there was an auto correlation among various fruit and seed traits. Strong correlation observed for fruit traits (weight and thickness) with germination attributes. Experimental outcomes revealed a strong intra- population variation for studied attributes in mahua. Therefore, further selection and improvement work can be done on this species for production of quality seeds in large quantity.