Phenology and Control Pollination Studies in Casuarina equisetifolia Forst

Abstract

Studies on phenology, floral biology and seed production were conducted in two provenance trials and a clonal hedge orchard of C. equisetifolia. Observations in seventeen populations indicate that predominant dioecy with low proportion of monoecy as the commonest sexual strategy. Flowering occurs twice in a year coinciding with the South West and North East monsoons. C. equisetifolia exhibits strong anemophilous adaptations such as very high pollen output, reduced flowers with large stigmatic area and light weighing winged fruits. Pollen is viable up to 99%, storable in 4°C up to three months with no loss in fertility. Trees start reproducing within two years of planting. Local land races produce ten to twenty times higher seeds than the recent introduced natural provenances and exotic landraces. Controlled pollination resulted in lower seed set than observed in open pollination. Selfing leads to normal seed set in monoecious trees. Inter specific cross with C. junguhuhniana pollen parent results in viable progeny.

Flowering Phenology and Seed Production of Santalum album L.

“…Reproductive biology studies help in estimating the genetic variation (Costich, 1995) and also they reveal about the quality and quantity of seeds produced by a species (Nagrajan et al, 1996). Observation of features such as floral morphology and phenology as well as pollination studies provide inferences into tree breeding systems (Nagrajan et al, 1998;Gituru et al, 2002). Studies on breeding system and floral morphology in turn give an idea about genetic variation and genetic structure that exist both within and among populations (Loveless and Hamrick, 1984).…”

Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Selected Red Tamarind (Tamarindus indica var rhodocarpha) Genetic Resources

“…Every part such as wood, roots, leaves, bark and fruits has some value of commerce, particularly in the subsistence of rural people (Gunasena and Hughes, 2000). Tamarind could be a potential tree species in the livelihood of the arid and semi-arid regions (Nagarajan et al, 1998). India is the major exporter of tamarind pulp and seeds with an annual trade worth 2.1 million dollars (Vinning and Moody, 1997).…”

Advances in domestication of indigenous fruit trees in the West African Sahel

“…Nagarajan et al 1998;Radhamani et al 1993). Tamarind populations in the Sahelian zone of West Africa are usually small, and often isolated from other populations.…”