GENETIC VARIABILITY AND ASSOCIATION STUDIES FOR YIELD ATTRIBUTING CHARACTERS IN CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present investigation was undertaken with fifteen genotypes of Chickpea, (including one check) during Rabi 2017-18 in a randomized block design with three replications at field experimentation at Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higgin bottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences. The data were recorded for twelve characters to study genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation and path analysis. Analysis of variance among 15 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 Vishal. The estimates of GCV and PCV were maximum for seed per pod, economical yield, biological yield and pods per plant. High heritability estimate were recorded for days to maturity, seeds per pod, days to 50% flowering and plant height. Genetic advance varied from 1.40 to 136.60. Maximum was observed for biological yield (136.60) and days to maturity (128.91) and maximum genetic advance as percent of mean was recorded for biological yield (70.86), economical yield (35.89) and pods per plant (25.34). The characters like biological yield, pods per plant, seeds per pod, and days to 50% flowering were positively and significantly correlated with economical yield at genotypic and phenotypic level. Path analysis indicated that biological yield, 100 seed weight, days to maturity and plant heighthad maximum positive direct effect on economical yield indicating that these characters could be used as selection criteria for yield improvement