A clonal trial comprising 12 poplar clones was planted at Regional Research Station, Bathinda in semi-arid region of Punjab following randomized block design with three replications and plot size of ten trees. The data collected on diameter at breast height, tree height and volume per tree at 2, 3, 5 and 7-year age were analyzed and genetic parameters were worked out. Significant differences among clones were noticed for all growth traits at all ages. Clones S7C8, 113324, L-188/84, L-313/85, L-51/84, L-71/84, 154/84, 110702 and 64-243-1 were promising clones at 7-year age with volume per tree ranging from 0.242 to 0.320 m3. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were relatively higher for volume (11.15-31.78%) and the minimum for tree height (4.71-13.65%). The broad sense heritability ranged from 29.68 to 73.11 per cent with relatively higher values for diameter (36.07-73.11%) and height (44.73-54.81 %). The genetic advance was lowest for height (6.49-14.10% of mean) and relatively higher for wood volume (12.51-38.96%). The study indicated that exotic clones S7C8 and 113324 were the potential clones for commercial cultivation.

Key words: poplar, heritability, genetic advance, clonal variation