Assessment of Genitic Variability, Cause Effect and Interrelationship among Yield Components in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present investigation consists of 26 genotypes of Chickpea including one check, which were grown in the Field Experimentation Centre of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SHUATS, Prayagraj during Rabi 2020 following RBD with three replications. The data were recorded on 11 characters. Assessment of genetic variability, cause effect and interrelationship among yield components in chickpea. High significant variation was obtained for all characters studied. High GCV and PCV in chickpea germplasm were observed for Total no of pods per plant, number of effective pods per plant, biological yield, seed yield. High estimate of heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was recorded for No. of primary branches, No. of secondary branches, Total no of pods per plant, No. of effective pods per plant, biological yield, Seed yield per plant, Harvest index, Seed index. High values for heritability indicates that it may be due to higher contribution of genotypic components. Traits exhibiting high heritability coupled with genetic advance as percent of mean suggest that the traits are governed by additive gene action, equal contribution of additive and non-additive gene action respectively. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that seed yield per plant exhibited positive and significant association with Biological yield per plant, Harvest index and plant height at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that seed yield per plant exhibited positive and significant association with Biological yield per plant, Harvest index and plant height at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Path analysis revealed that characters plant height, number of primary branches, biological yield and harvest index have positive direct effect on seed yield per plant at genotypic and phenotypic level.