H.ShivannaJyothi B. Patil2016-11-222016-11-222012http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/86976The study on “Provenance variation studies on fruit, seed and seedling, traits of Zanthoxylum rhetsa - a tree under high exploitation in Central Western Ghats” was conducted at college of Forestry, Sirsi. The study was laid out by following completely randomized design with six treatments (seed sources) and four replications. The fruit length, fruit width, fruit test weight were 6.09 mm, 4.19 mm and 21.29 g respectively in Sirsi seed source which was found highest. Seed length, seed width and test weight and volume were 2.84 mm, 1.75 mm and 10.40 g, 0.037 mm3 in Sirsi seed source which was found to be superior from rest of the seed sources. However Kumta seed source recorded the least for both fruit and seed parameters. Among the different pre treated seeds, the highest germination percentage was found to be 45% in boiling water for five min with cow dung treatment for three days, followed by only cow dung treatment for two days (42%). There was an increase of 68.64 per cent in mean daily germination due to boiling water for five min with cow dung treatment for three days as compared to control. Maximum germination was recorded in Sirsi seed source (45.29%) and least was noticed in Kumta seed source (26.45 %). At 180 days after germination, maximum seedling height was recorded in Sirsi seed source (37.11 cm) and least was in Kumta seed source (24.88 cm). Similar trend was observed for collar diameter in Sirsi and Kumta seed sources. The shoot length and root length traits were higher in Sirsi seed source (33.45 Cm and 17.01 cm) at 120 days after germination and lowest was in Kumta seed source (22.65cm and 12.96 cm).The highest fresh shoot biomass (9.43 g) was recorded for Sirsi followed by Siddhapur seed source (9.05 g), least was in Kumta seed source (8.18 g). Thus it is inferred that for any further Improvement/ breeding work, Sirsi seed source was found most promising.Thesis