Characterization of Mulberry Genetic Resources for Multiple Traits

Abstract

Mulberry plants have wide range of variations in characters in view of its adaptability to cross pollination with no inter-specific reproduction barrier rendering it a heterozygous species. Every plant being different from the other in natural population, this great diversity makes it difficult to gather information and carry out studies on effect of different edaphic factors on the expression of genotypic characters for adjudging the variations. In lieu of this known diversity for posterity, the collection of mulberry genotypes from diverse genetic sources, their conservation, evaluation and consequent documentation is of prime importance. In the present study, 69 mulberry accessions were characterized for morphology, anatomy, and reproductive parameters. Evaluation for propagation, growth and yield characters were also carried out. Based on multiple trait analysis, 14 top performing accessions viz., MI-0879, MI-0882, MI-0908, MI-0931, MI-0907, MI-0940, MI-0881, MI-0941, MI0892, MI-0913, MI-0937, MI-0934, MI-0865, MI-0886 were identified. These accessions could serve as resources for further evaluation aimed at trait-specific crop improvement.