MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LEMON GERMPLASMS

Abstract

Lemon (Citrus limon L.) is one of the most popular fruit crop under the genus Citrus. The genus Citrus is the world's leading tree-fruit crop belongs to the subfamily Aurantioidae, family Rutaceae and order Sapindales, Different hypotheses have been formulated on the origin of Citrus. In general, Citrus is believed to have originated in the tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia and then spread to other continents. Hodgson (J 967) reported that lemon is originated in north eastern India and Burma and grown throughout the world. Compared to other lemon producing countries of the world, the production of lemon in Bangladesh is very low due to lack of proper attention for varietal improvement. There are many genotypes of lemon having diverse characters in different parts of the country. Those genotypes are available in the market without any uniformity and standardization in nomenclature. Characterization of existing lemon germplasm may create a good opportunity for the breeder in the improvement of the crop. The present study is carried out in aiming to infer the genetic variability and thus ensuring proper utilization of available gennplusm.