Estimation of Genetic Variability Parameters and Character Association in F2 Generation of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Crosses under Irrigated and Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

The present study was carried out to estimate genetic variability parameters, heritability (in broad sense), genetic advance as percentage of mean and character association in F2 generation of five chickpea crosses under irrigated and rainfed conditions for yield and its components traits. The estimates of these parameters will help us to decide selection criteria for improvement of seed yield in chickpea. Significant differences were observed among the crosses and generations for all the characters under both the conditions. The highest range of variation was observed for 100 seed weight followed by seed yield per plant, biological yield per plant, seeds per pod and plant height in irrigated condition, while in rainfed condition the highest range of variation was registered for 100 seed weight followed by days to 50% flowering, fruiting branches per plant, seed yield per plant, days to maturity and harvest index. Hence, selection should be done on characters having wide range of variation under the respective environmental condition. Phenotypic variance was higher than the corresponding genotypic variance for all the characters studied under both the conditions, indicating more contribution of environment in the phenotypic appearance of the traits than their genetic makeup. The high estimates of GCV and PCV were obtained for fruiting branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, biological yield per plant, seed yield per plant and 100 seed weight in most of the crosses under both the conditions. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean was observed for pods per plant in most of the crosses under both the conditions. RSG-895 × RSG-888 showed high heritability coupled with high GAM for seed yield per plant and harvest index, CSJD-901 × RSG-931 for seed yield per plant, RSG-888 × ICC-4958 for harvest index under irrigated condition indicated the importance of additive gene action in the inheritance of these characters; hence, selection based on phenotypic performance would be effective for improvement of these characters. Seed yield per plant had positive and significant correlation with fruiting branches per plant, pods per plant, biological yield per plant, harvest index and 100 seed weight under both the conditions and with plant height in rainfed condition only. So selection based on these characters is expected to bring improvement in the seed yield of chickpea.