Variability in wood properties of promising willow clones

The objective of the article is to investigate the variability in growth and wood properties of the willow clones. The growth and wood traits of four year old 21 clones willow clones were investigated. Analysis of variance showed that willow clones differed significantly for all the studied growth and wood traits. Among the growth parameters the maximum heritability value was shown by height which was 0.92 (92%) and minimum of 0.59 (59%) was recorded for wood and bark percentage. The mean value of specific gravity is 0.76 (Heritability 0.69) and mean value of fiber length is 1.41 mm and value of heritability factor is 0.77. The value of heritability factor is high for alcohol-benzene extractive content (heritability value= 0.73). Wide range of variability was seen for all the physico-chemical characteristics of wood of promising willow clones. The values for phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variability, heritability, genetic advance and genetic gain ranged between 2.51-35.63, 2.09-30.49, 24-92, 0.03-31.20 and 3.95-53.73%, respectively.