Journal of Environmental Biology

Genetic diversity in antioxidant potential and stomatal behaviour of peach in Central Himalayan Region 

A.K. Trivedi¹*, S.K. Verma¹, R.R. Arya¹ and R.K. Tyagi²

¹National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Bhowali-263 132, India

²National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi?110 012, India

*Corresponding Author?s E-mail: ajayakumartrivedi@gmail.com

 Publication Data

Paper received:

03 July 2014

Revised received:

21 November 2014

Accepted:

25 February 2015

Abstract

To harness the genetic diversity of peach (Prunus persica) available in Central Himalayan Region (CHR) 17 accessions, having distinct traits of horticultural importance, were collected and conserved in field gene bank during the last 20 years. Collected germplasm were evaluated for diversity in vegetative and flowering characters viz., leaf length (8.84-19.28 cm), leaf width (2.69-4.33 cm), petiole length (0.78-1.17 cm), tree height (141.73-305.25 cm), canopy area (28296.75-357966.44 cm2), days to bud break (37.67-74.79), days to end bud break (49.67-80.83), number of flowers per plant (54.77-848.25), flower diameter (2.08-4.25 cm) as well as fruiting traits viz., fruit length (3.38-6.73 cm), fruit width (3.46-6.04 cm), fruit weight (29.30-360.00g), fruit volume (13.95-200.00 cc), stone length (2.15-4.44 cm), stone width (1.27-2.73 cm), stone weight (11.33-71.25g), pulp stone ratio (38.00-142.50), total soluble solids (TSS) (8.50-12.33 0Brix). Moreover, vitamin 'C' content (6.12-12.26 mg 100g^-1 f.wt.), carotenoids (69-170 g 100^-1 f.wt.), total phenols (72.1-132.2 mg 100g^-1 f.wt.) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (79.5-137.19 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent assay) of ripe fruits was estimated. In order to find out suitable accessions for water stress and elevated temperature condition leaf samples were collected from field gene bank as well as from locations of germplasm collection and studied for variability in stomatal size (66-111 m at native places and 78-118 m in the field gene bank) and frequency (184-396 at native places and 174-351 in the field gene bank). Fairly rich diversity was found in parameters under study which might be utilized in research, crop improvement programme as well as for cultivation.     

 Key words

Flowering, Fruit size, Phenols, Stomata, Total soluble solids

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