Characterization of Chickpea Genotypes for Qualitative and Quantitative Traits in the Bundelkhand Region

About 550 germplasm accessions of chickpea were undertaken to evaluate 20 morphological traits using DUS guidelines given by PPV & FRA. And they are used to determine the relationships among yield and yield attributes using direct and indirect selection parameters. Out of 20 DUS traits, seven traits were dimorphic, 10 traits were found trimorphic and the remaining three traits showed polymorphism. Significant genetic variations were observed among the genotypes for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, leaf-let size, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, primary branches, peduncle length, plant height, secondary branches, 100 seed weight, seed yield per plant. High PCV, GCV, heritability and genetic advance are obtained for secondary branches, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100 seed weight and seed yield. Correlation studies revealed that seed yield was positively and significantly correlated with leaf-let size, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, primary branches, peduncle length, plant height, secondary branches, 100 seed weight. The path coefficient analysis based on seed yield, as a dependent variable, showed that the number of pods per plant had the greatest direct effect on seed yield (0.68) followed by 100 seed weight (0.561) and the number of seeds per pod (0.42). Both correlation and path analysis indicated that pods per plant and the 100 seed weight were the major direct contributors to seed yield.