GENETIC VARIABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS FOR YIELD AND YIELD CONTRII3IITING CHARACTERS IN CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Forty genotypes of chickpea (('leer aridUnmu F..) were studied in a Field nperiment Ct)Iklticteci at the experimental Field ''I RARI .iodebpnr, (ltlrinL: the )ear 2004-2005. A randomized complete block design having three replications were lollowed. The ohjectivcs oF the study we.e to rileusuic he variability among the genolvpes for yield and yield contributing characters, estimate genetic parameters, association among the characters and their contribut 101) to yield. Significant genetic vari:itiotis were observed thr days to Ilover. plant height. number ol' branches per plant. number oF pods per plant. 100- seed weight and seed yield per plant. I lighest genotypic variability was observed in number of seed yield ibllowed by nunther of pods per plant and branches per plant whereas days to maturity showed lowest genotvpic co-elficiejn of' variability. In all cases. phenotvpic variances were higher than the genotvpic ones. II hzh lieritabi lit) and high genetic advance in percent of mean were thund in seed yield per plant, pods per plant, lOO-seed weight and dry weight per plant which indicates that selection could he etThctive br these traits. Considerable heritability was observed in pod length. seeds per pod and days to Ilowering and lowest lien tabi Ii tv was observed in days to pod tuat Liii ty followed by plant height. The results obtained, showed that seed yield per plant had positive and significant relation with branches per plant and pods per plant. Number of pods per plant were positively correlated with branches per plant but negatively correlated with plant height and days to first flowering. I luitdred seed weight had significant and positive correlation with days to first flowering, dry weight per plant and pod length but had negative correlation with pods per plant and seeds per pod. Days to first flowering, pod length. pods per plant. dry weight per plant had high positive direct elThct on the yield .So. days to first flowering, pods per plant. pod letigtli. branches per plant and dry weight per plant are found the important characters and could he used on direct selection lr yield. (ieiuotvpes C'l'M-SôO. ( 'PNl-X-j, htlNA elnla-3, HARt ('hula-I 15ARI ('liula-7 showed better performance in all aspects indicating the possibility of using these in Future breeding programme.