Genetic Variability, Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) for Yield and its Component Traits

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate 50 chickpea germplasm accession to understand the magnitude of variability, heritability, genetic advance and the association of various yield components and their direct and indirect influence on yield of chickpea based on twelve agro-morphological traits. These traits included three vegetative traits (plant height, number of primary branches and number of secondary branches), one flowering trait (days to 50 % flowering), seven yield related traits (days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, biological yield per plant, harvest index, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant) and one quality trait (protein content). ANOVA revealed significant variation existed for most of the traits. High genotypic coefficient of variation (PCV and phenotypic coefficient of variation was found for 100 seed weight and plant height recorded high heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Traits such as number of secondary branches, number of seeds per plant, 100 seed weight, protein content, biological yield per plant and harvest index exhibited significant positive correlation with seed yield per plant, whereas biological yield per plant followed by harvest index had positive and greater direct effects on single plant yield.