Variability Studies in Seedling Growth and Biomass Characteristics in Half-sib Progenies of Ulmus villosa Brandis in Kashmir

The present investigation aims to assess the extent of variation existing among half sib progenies of Ulmus villosa Brandis for seedling growth and biomass traits and selection of the best mother tree for future afforestation programs in Kashmir. Seeds were collected from 15 mother trees across five districts of Kashmir: Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Kulgam and Srinagar and were grown under open nursery conditions. Significant variations were observed among all the progenies for all growth and biomass characteristics. On the basis of performance progenies of Bijbehara-Anantnag exhibited superior performance for growth and biomass characteristics such as seedling height (32.20 cm), collar diameter (10.20 cm), total leaf area per plant (20.10 cm²), root length (12.01 cm), number of branches (25.00), number of leaves (48.66), plant percent (85.47%), survival percentage (81.32), sturdiness quotient (4.95) and Dickson’s quality index (0.94). Biomass analysis indicated that Bijbehara-Anantnag also yielded the highest fresh shoot weight (22.42 g) and dry shoot weight (11.46 g) and fresh root weight (9.86 g) and dry root weight (5.50 g). Genetic analysis indicated moderate to high heritability and positive correlations between seedling and biomass characteristics, highlighting the influence of both environmental and genetic factors. These findings provide valuable insights into the selection of superior mother tree for seed collection, paving the way for tree improvement programs, sustainable propagation, and conservation efforts for this important tree species.