Variance components and heritability of leaf traits in bael (Aegle marmelos Correa)

A study was conducted at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar to evaluate twenty four genotypes of Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa) in relation to seventeen leaf traits during the year 2002–2003. Mean performance values for leaf characters indicated that commercially released cultivars viz., Pant Shivani, Pant Urvashi, Pant Aparna, Pant Sujata and NB-1 along with the genotypes PB-1 and PB-23 exhibited larger and broader leaflets. Number of leaves per shoot, shoot length, leaf dry weight and leaf area registered higher GCV and PCV. High heritability along with high estimates of genetic advance (% of mean) was observed for leaf area, leaf fresh weight and number of leaves per shoot.