Development and Release of Clones: A Case Study of Screening 1999 Poplar Breeding Population at Wimco Seedlings

Paper presents a protocol followed in developing two Populus deltoides Bartr. clones from the seed collected from crosses made among selected parents and from open pollinated trees of seven clones. The protocol includes intensive screening of seedling population for three years at nursery stage, seven years at two local level field trials and for varying period in four multiple field trials. Out of a base population of 2059 individual seedlings produced from full-sib and 19511 individuals from half-sib populations, 33 individuals from full-sib and 108 from half-sib populations were selected during the nursery screening phase. These 141 individuals plus G48 as control were planted at two sites, out of which 16 individuals-2 from full-sib and 14 from half-sib were selected at the age of 7 years based on growth index (height and DBH) and quality index (stem straightness, clear stem and crown size). These 16 individuals were then clubbed with clones selected from other year poplar breeding populations and were planted at four sites. Out of these 16 clones of 1999 breeding population, two clones have been found outstanding from multiple field trials and are now being mass multiplied for supply to growers of the Tarai Region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where these trials were conducted.