Variation in Wood Properties and Growth in Some Clones of Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh

The present paper deals with within ramet radial, intraand inter-clonal variations in the wood element’s dimensions and specific gravity of 10 clones of Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. The growth parameters namely ramet height and DBH were also considered for the study. Study material was collected from the 10 clones of Populus deltoids raised by WIMCO Plantations Ltd. at Rudrapur (Udhamsingh Nagar), India. Three clones were parent viz. G48, S7C8 (female) and G3 (male). Other clones represent hybrids of F1 generation. Interand intra-clonal variations were significant for all the wood traits except vessel element length for intra-clonal variations. Within ramet variations due to radial location were significant for fiber length and specific gravity with increasing trend from pith to periphery. Interaction of clone*replication was also significant for all the wood traits. Variations were significant for the DBH for the clones. Fiber length and specific gravity was significantly higher in female while wall thickness and vessel element length was in male clones (P < 0.01). Female parents (G48 and S7C8) showed higher fiber length and specific gravity than of the male parent (G3) while vessel element diameter and wall thickness was higher in male parent (G3). Fiber length was higher in offspring than the parent clones which may be the reflection of hybrid vigor for the trait. The clones of F1 offspring followed the similar patterns for the other wood traits as in the parent clones. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that W/A 39 (male) and W 39 (female) clones of F1 generation were highly divergent than of the other clones.