Author(s): S. ROY CHOWDHURI, H. SAU, S. G. DOSS, M. K. GHOSH AND A. K. BAJPAI

Abstract: Seven species of mulberry namely Morus indica (x, hp and black), M. rubra, M. alba, M. rotundiloba, M. cathyana, M. australis and M. multicaulis maintained in the germplasm bank of Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore, West Bengal, India were studied for flowering and reproductive behaviours specially receptivity of stigma during regular flowering season January to April. Days taken on flowering were 2.5 – 6 days and 2.6 – 5.7 days in exotic and indigenous, respectively. Receptivity period of stigma revealed that pollination index (PI) was significantly higher between 10th and 14th day of emergence of catkins from the scale leaves. PI was low before 8th and after 18th day of bagging in all the species. Significant positive correlation observed between the seed set and size of sorosis, seed set and weight of 100 seeds and seed set and seed germination indicated that the higher receptivity period of stigma lies between 10th and 14th day which increased the number of seeds per sorosis alongwith sorosis weight, size, seed weight as well as rate of seed germination. The information may be useful for the breeders for synchronizing of flowering in parents and creating heterozygous progenies in mulberry.

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