GENETIC VARIABILITY AND SEGREGATION OF SEX IN NUTMEG (MYRISTICA FRAGRANS Houtt.)

Abstract

In a progeny population of 16 elite mother trees of nutmeg from Kallar, Burliar, Kozha, Kalady, Moovattupuzha, Kottayam and Balamore, significant variation was observed only for plant height, number of main shoots, number of years taken for flowering, fruit weight and ratio of mace to seed weight. There was no statistically significant variation for number of direct shoots, mean girth at 1.4m. canopy size, yield of fruits and weight of seed and mace among the progenies. Estimates of genetic parameters for the significant attributes revealed higher magnitude of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) as compared to the corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) indicating predominant role of environment in the expression of these characters. The estimates of heritability and genetic advance were low for all the characters barring the ratio of mace to seed weight, thereby implying the importance of non-additive genetic variance. Lack of significant variation for yield and certain other attributes and low estimates of heritability for most of the significant attributes can be attributed to narrow gene pool of original mother trees from which the present day nutmeg population evolved.