Anatomical indices for predicting vigour in clonal rootstocks of guava

The investigation was carried out to find out the anatomical indices for predicting plant vigour in clonal rootstocks of Psidium species. The size of root xylem vessels and leaf stomatal density showed direct relationship with plant vigour while the size of vascular bundle in roots and leaves, size of leaf xylem vessels and leaf epidermal cells did not show any appreciable trend for predicting plant vigour. The higher bark/wood ratio of root is one of the anatomical features for dwarfing character but the ratio alone is not sufficient for prediction of plant vigour with certainty. Based on the anatomical indices, the Psidium species can be categorized relatively as dwarf (P. chinensis), semi-dwarf (P. molle) and vigorous species (P. cujavillis and P. catleianum).