Abstract

                                The preponderance of Khirni seedlings are seen growing naturally in scattered/isolated areas of various agro-climatic zones of India, and a chance for the selection of superior genotypes is very high due to the huge genetic diversity in the existing populations. To reveal the genetic variability in khirni, as leaves, fruit sample from diverse areas genotypes were collected and analysed for various morphological attributes. Results of the study revealed a wide range of variability found with respect to tree, leaf, and fruit characteristics among the studied genotypes. This variability can be exploited for the selection of superior genotype for conservation, evaluation, utilization, and a source for future breeding programme in crop improvement.

Key words : Khirni, variability, genotypes, morphology, crop improvement