Gonda Clones (C196, C198)

The Gonda clones, individually catalogued as C196 and C198, come from the Dalbergia sissoo clonal seed orchard (CSO) established in 1996 at Lachhiwala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, under a World Bank-funded forest research project. The trial evaluated 30 clones collected from diverse locations across India and Nepal for growth, physiological and biochemical traits; the Gonda-origin clones C196 and C198 showed the maximum height and girth among all clones tested, making them the best-documented named sheesham planting material available in India. Heritability studies from the same trial found strong genetic control over several traits, with the largest genetic gains recorded for sugar and protein content — evidence that real, measurable genetic improvement is achievable in this species, even though it has not yet translated into a widely branded commercial variety.

Plant typeClonal planting material
Maturity15+ years to marketable girth
Yield potentialBest-documented growth performance among evaluated Dalbergia sissoo clones
Disease resistanceNot separately documented against Fusarium wilt; standard site-drainage precautions still apply
SoilAdaptable; alluvial loam to sandy soils, avoid a fluctuating water table
SeasonAll seasons

• Spacing2 × 2 m to 3 × 3 m for a dedicated block; 2–3 m along a canal, road or boundary line

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

• Uttarakhand

• Punjab Agricultural University Plus-Tree Stock

  Planting material descended from candidate plus trees selected across Punjab for straightness, clear bole and vigour, and conserved ex-situ at PAU Ludhiana in response to the state's widespread problem of crooked, poor-form sheesham from unimproved seed.

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• CCS Haryana Agricultural University Breeding-Programme Stock

  Planting material from CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar's long-running Dalbergia sissoo plus-tree selection and breeding-system research (including work confirming sheesham is a strictly self-fertilising species), distributed through university and Haryana state forest-department nurseries.

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• Local Seed-Origin Nursery Stock

  Ordinary one-year-old seedlings raised from seed collected off good local mother trees — still, honestly, how most sheesham actually gets planted across north India, since no single branded commercial variety dominates the market the way it does for poplar.

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