K. P. Paudyal*, H. Subedi** and B. Chalise**
*Horticulture Research Division, NARC
**National Citrus Research Program, NARC
Abstract
A total of 26 mandarin seedling trees of 25 years age, collected from Khoku and maintained at National Citrus Research Program, Dhankuta were evaluated for four consecutive years from 2001 to 2004 for yield and fruit quality. High level of diversity was noted on marketable yield (25-131 Kg, yield efficiency (0.22-1.10 kg/m3), fruit size (66.5 - 87.8 gram), seed number (8.6-16.6) and acid content (0.81-1.40 percent) while variation on pulp percent, juice content and TSS was less. Each tree was scored in 1-5 scale for its performance on TSS, total acid, TSS acid ratio, pulp percent, Juice content, seeds/fruit, percentage of big and medium sized fruits and yield efficiency. Tree number: J-90 which obtained highest score (18) was selected as mother plant. Disease indexing in Nepal and Corsica, France showed that J-90 was free from graft-transmissible diseases. The selected plant was multiplied by grafting on Poncirus trifoliata rootstocks and maintained as primary foundation mother plant under screen house at National Citrus Research Program, Dhankuta and as secondary mother plants in private nurseries in Kavre and Lamjung. Demand of disease-free saplings of this genotype is very high and is being sold by private nurseries in a price of Rs 50-125 per sapling. The yield of three years old plant has been found up to 30 kg at farmers 'field.