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Agroforest Syst (2008) 72:195204 DOI 10.1007/s10457-007-9088-z
Variation of pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) in Nepal and participatory selection of strains for further improvement
Krishna P. Paudyal Nazmul Haq
Received: 11 May 2006 / Accepted: 16 July 2007 / Published online: 8 August 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007
Abstract A farmers participatory survey was carried out in the mid-hill and plain (Terai) regions of Nepal to assess the diversity, consumers preference for fruit quality and potential for selection of elite pomelo clones. A wide variation of morphological characters of tree, fruit, leaf and seed was identied from information gathered and from laboratory analysis. Multivariate analysis of the data produced ve discrete groups, which were represented by plants from different agro-ecological regions and soil types. The groups differed signicantly in yield efciency, fruit shape and size, pulp, juice, total soluble solids and acid content, seed number, leaf shape and size. Some fruit characters, such as yield, size and acid content were found to be affected by environment and genotype, whereas others, such as fruit shape, pulp colour, seed number, bitterness were not affected by environment. Leaf shape and petiole wing shape were also not affected by the environment. Farmers were more interested in quality characteristics rather than to aspects of yield. Six superior types were identied.
Keywords Characterisation Multivariate analysis
Variation Superior strains
Introduction
Pomelo or shaddock (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, synonyms Citrus maxima (J. Burm.) Merr. C. decumna L., has been regarded as an ancient species of the genus Citrus (Scora 1975). It belongs to the family Rutaceae, sub-family Aurantioidae, tribe Citreae and sub-tribe Citrinae. Purseglove (1968) proposed that it is a native of Thailand and Malaysia, although Min (1997) proposed southern China as its primary centre of origin with Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan as secondary centres of diversity. Most authors accept its primary centre of diversity as being Southeast Asia from where it spread to China, the Indian subcontinent and to Iran. It was introduced to the West Indies (Barbados) from the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in the 17th century by a Captain Shaddock, hence the name shaddock, and it has been introduced to many tropical countries. In Asia the fruit is mainly grown in homestead gardens. The species is unknown...