The Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding

Cineole-rich eucalyptus oil is required heavily by pharmaceutical Industries. Australian Eucalyptus species yielding cineole-rich oil could not be cultivated in other regions, Twenty four eucalyptus clones selected from E. teretlcornls, E. camaldulensis, E. globulus, E. grandls, E. citrlodora and the hybrids between E. teretlcornls and E. camaldulensls were evaluated in a field trial in semi-arid tropical conditions of Rahuri, M.S. India. Two accessions viz., RHE 99–14 (E. tereticornls) having 1.46% oil with 84.52% cineole and RHE 99–18 (E. camaldulensis) having 1.02% oil with 84.22% cineole content have been Identified for planting in semi-arid tropics for 011 production. RHE 99-4 (E. camaldulensls) and RHE 99–22 (E. teretlcornls) having faster growth and yielding fairly good quality oil are promising for production of medicinal oil and wood for timber and pulp. The cineole rich oil yielding types might have evolved as a consequence of introgression of the oil traits from a high cineole-rich oil yielding species into E. camaldulensls and E. teretlcornls.