KFRI Research Report No - Kerala Forest Research Institute

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe are extremely grateful to Dr. J.K. Sharma, former Director who wasresponsible form establishing the provenance trial plots of eucalypts and acacias. Wethank him for his guidance and keen interest in the study. We are thankful to CSIRO,Australia for the free supply of Eucalypt and Acacia seeds to KFRI for theestablishment of the provenance trial plots. We also thank Shri. T.K. Raghavan NairIFS and Shri Govindan Kutty IFS, the former Principal Chief Conservators of Forestsand other senior officers of the Kerala Forest Department who had extended theirpatronage during the tenure of the project. Thanks are also due to Dr. JoseKallarackal, Dr. K.C. Chacko and Dr. U.N. Nandakumar for their editorial comments.Finally, we record our sincere thanks to Shri. K.A. Thankachan and M. Muraly, thenurserymen cum watchman for the provenance trial plot at Kottappara in Kodanadrange and for the field clonal propagation unit at Devikulam respectively for theiruntiring assistance and devotion to the work.M. BalasundaranE.J. Maria Florence