Assessment of Genetic Variability and Correlation of Yield Related Traits in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present investigation was undertaken with 21 genotypes of Chickpea, (including one check) during Rabi 2020-21 in a randomized block design with three replications at field experimentation centre of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding. Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences. The data were recorded for 13 characters to study genetic variability, correlation and path analysis. Analysis of variance among 21 genotypes showed highly significant differences for all the characters indicated the presence of substantial amount of genetic variability. On the basis of mean performance, the highest seed yield was observed in genotype NBEG-1121 and RVS-5949. The estimates of GCV and PCV were moderate for plant height, number of primary branches. Low GCV and PCV was recorded for days to 50% flowering. The difference between PCV and GCV was very low for all 13 yield contributing characters. This indicates that the influence of environment factor was low on these characters. High heritability estimate was recorded for number of seeds per plant, number of secondary branches per plant. A high magnitude of genetic advance expressed as a percent of mean was observed in respect of number of seeds per plant, number of secondary branches per plant. Seed yield per plant exhibited positive and highly significant correlations with days to 50% Flowering, no of secondary branches at both genotypic and phenotypic level. The positive non-significant correlations of seed yield per plant were found with number of secondary branches and days to maturity. Negative non- significant correlation was being observed with the plant height, number of primary branches per plant and number of pods per plant. Path analysis at both genotypic and phenotypic level showed positive direct effects by days to 50% flowering, number of secondary branches per plant. The characters identified above as important components merit due to consideration in the formulation of effective selection strategy in chickpea for developing high yielding varieties.