CHARACTERIZATION OF A SUB-SET OF TOBACCO GERMPLASM AND ITS CORE COLLECTION

Abstract

In order to effectively utilize the germplasm maintained at ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute, a core collection of 65 accessions (21 bidi, 19 country cheroot, 8 cigar filler and 17 chewing) constituted from the base collection of 647 accessions (205 bidi, 175 chewing, 185 country cheroot and 82 cigar filler) and compared with the diversity of source collection. Out of 24 morphological traits studied, six leaf and three reproductive characters found to contribute to diversity in base collection. Based on the ‘t’ test, means of most of the morphological characters in base collections in each sub-group found be nonsignificant compared to their cores. Shannon-Weaver diversity index indicated that 93% of the diversity in the base collection was represented in the total core. In the Chi-square analysis, the frequency distribution of entries for 24 morphological characters in total base collection and its core found to be non-significant. Thus, all the tests indicated that the diversity in base collections was captured in respective core collections and hence, constituted cores can effectively be evaluated and utilized with minimum effort in breeding programmes.