Genetic Variability and Heritability Studies in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

The source of genetically variable accessions is an important source for a potential future breeding programme. It provides an ample opportunity to breeders for releasing new and superior varieties, based on market utilisation. In this context, an experiment was conducted to study the variability and heritability of characters under 10 different parameters in 60 diverse genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with Randomized Block Design (RBD) in two replications during Rabi Season 2014-15 at Pulses Improvement Project, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Rahuri. The Genetic variability and heritability studies revealed that Number of pods per plant exhibited the highest range of variability followed by days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height, 100 seed weight, days to maturity. High heritability estimates associated with high genetic advance as per cent of the mean were observed for a number of pods per plant, days to 50 per cent, 100 seed weight and plant height characters. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated the prevalence of sufficient genetic variation among the genotypes for all the ten traits. All characters showed high (>70%) estimates of heritability (b. s.). High genetic advance expressed as a percentage of the mean was exhibited by seed yield per plant and number of pods per plant.