SHARMA, GIRISHSURENDER, KUMAR2016-12-202016-12-20201348031http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/91323ABSTRACT The present investigations entitled “Genetic evaluation and pollination behavior of different citrus species” were carried out at the Experimental Orchard, Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS), Dhaulakuan, District Sirmour (HP) and the Department of Fruit Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan (HP) during 2010-2012. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications. Evaluation and pollination studies in seventeen citrus cultivars were carried out. The plant growth characterstics, flowering duration, pollen viability and germinability, fruit set under different modes of pollination viz., selfing by bagging, hand self pollination, open pollination and artificial cross pollination was determined. Fruit characters namely fruit size, weight, colour, peel thickness, seed number per fruit, TSS, total sugar and titratable acidity were observed. It was observed that ‘Kinnow’ (Mandarin group), ‘Valencia Late’, ‘Valencia Campbell’ (Sweet orange group) and ‘Baramasi’ (Lime and lemon) performed best for plant growth characteristics, flowering duration, anthesis, stigma receptivity and fruit characteristics. Pollen germination in mandarins, sweet orange and lime and lemon cultivars was highest in ‘Emperor’ (57.4%), Blood Red (57.45%) and ‘Kagzi Kalan’ (54.9%), after 48 hours in 15 per cent solution. Pollination studies (self, hand self and open pollination) indicated that ‘Kinnow’ (Mandarin), ‘Valencia Late’, ‘Mosambi’ (Sweet orange) and ‘Baramasi’ (Lime and lemon) resulted in highest fruit set among all the cultivars. Inter-crossing of different citrus cultivars revealed that ‘Kinnow’ in Mandarin group, ‘Valencia Late’ and ‘Mosambi’ in Sweet orange group and ‘Baramasi’ in lime and lemons were most cross compatible cultivars and they were having high fruit weight, thin peel and low seed number per fruit and physicchemical characters. Hence, on the basis of present studies it is concluded that ‘Kinnow’ in mandarin group, ‘Valencia Late’ and ‘Mosambi’ in sweet orange group and ‘Baramasi’ in lime and lemon are best for most of the horticultural traits.enThesis