Effect of fruit mass and size on germination and seedling characteristics of endangered medicinal tree bael [Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr.]

Bael is an endangered underutilized fruit tree and it is mostly propagated by seeds. It is used for many me dicinal purposes to treat variety of ailments. The study was conducted to investigate the influence of fruit mass and size on germination and growth of bael seedlings at ICAR, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, RRS, Pali Marwar, Rajasthan. The healthy and ripened bael fruits were collected and graded in to different categories based on its size and shape. The fruits of bael was fallen into four categories, they were Big (B₁), Medium (B₂), Small (B₃) and Abnormal (B₄). The maximum values were recorded in Big size fruits (B₁) followed by Medium (B₂) in all the fruit morphometric traits of Bael. Maximum germination percentage (100% and 92%, respectively) and growth parameters of seedlings were registered in big sized fruits (B₁) followed by medium (B₂) and minimum was in abnormal category fruits. The study reveals that the big and medium sized fruits can produce more number of good quality seeds which may produce more number of good quality seedlings of bael with maximum germination.