Zigme Wangchuk Sherpa, Aditi Chakraborty, Binayak Chakraborty, Mutum Preema Devi and Swadesh Gurung
Abstract
An investigation was carried out to study the morphological and yield characteristics of the four guava F1s (Allahabad Safeda Ãâ Red Fleshed, Baruipur Ãâ Red Fleshed, L-49 Ãâ Red Fleshed and Doodh KhajaÃâ Red Fleshed) developed using Red Fleshed genotype as pollen donor plant (male) and four white-fleshed genotypes (Allahabad Safeda, Baruipur, L-49 and Doodh Khaja) as fruit giving plant (female) in Terai zone of West Bengal. The trees were planted in randomized block design in a guava block with three replications. The results of the study indicated that three among the four F1s (Allahabad Safeda Ãâ Red Fleshed, Baruipur Ãâ Red Fleshed and Doodh KhajaÃâ Red Fleshed) exhibited erect and rest one (L-49 Ãâ Red Fleshed) had spreading type of branching habit. All the F1s had dense foliage and inflorescence contained 2 or 3 flowers in cymes. The fruits harvested from the F1s were smooth (Allahabad Safeda Ãâ Red Fleshed), ridged (L-49 Ãâ Red Fleshed) and bumpy (Baruipur Ãâ Red Fleshed and Doodh Khaja Ãâ Red Fleshed) surface. The F1s were taller than their parental lines. The dwarf tree structure among the F1s was recorded in L-49 Ãâ Red Fleshed. The maximum flowering duration was noted in Baruipur Ãâ Red Fleshed. The Allahabad Safeda Ãâ Red Fleshed had minimum fruiting duration (121.0 days) with maximum size of fruit (189.71 g) and yield (16.12 kg tree-1). The variation of different traits exhibited by the F1s and their parents might be utilised in advanced guava crop improvement program to select better genotype for terai zone of West Bengal.