Mortality in Dalbergia sissoo (roxb.) following heavy infection by Aristobia horridula (hope) bettles

Genetic variation in mortality was studied by comparing survival of 70 progenies of Dalbergia sissoo originating from different parts of Nepal. The analysis was based on their performance in a so-called seedling seed orchard (SSO) that was heavily infested by Aristobia horridula Hope; a beetle that has become a sever pest infesting and killing young trees in sissoo plantings. Large and highly significant differences were found between families in mortality, showing that some progenies seem to resist the attack much better than others. Although dealing only with resistance against the beetle attach, the results awakens hope that phenotypic selection in tree improvement programmes can be an important tool in tackling the general health problems in sissoo plantations. This calls for special interest facing the serious dieback syndrome that has seriously decreased health of sissoo planting in Nepal, Pakistan and India.