Genetic variability and trait association in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A study was carried out in the experimental area of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2007-2008. Twenty elite genotypes and three standard varieties of chickpea were evaluated for per se and components of variability, heritability (h2bs), genetic advance and interrelationships for various parameters. Correlation studies showed that biomass per plant, pods per plant, secondary branches per plant, seeds per pod and 100-seed weight were positive and significant at genotypic level but positive and highly significant at phenotypic level. Days to flowering was negative and non-significantly correlated with grain yield per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Path coefficient showed that 100-seed weight had maximum direct effect on grain yield followed by pods per plant, secondary branches per plant, seeds per pod, days taken to maturity and number of primary branches per plant. The number of days taken to flowering, plant height and biomass per plant had negative direct effects on grain yield.