DISSECTION OF GENETIC VARIABILITY AND HERITABILITY ESTIMATES OF CHICKPEA GERMPLASM FOR VARIOUS MORPHOLOGICAL MARKERS AND QUANTITATIVE TRAITS

An investigation was carried out using forty seven genotypes of chickpea to study the nature and magnitude of genetic variability. The data were recorded on three morphological markers and eight important quantitative traits on the genotypes raised in randomized complete block design having three replications. The study was carried out in the field of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan during the chickpea growing season of 2006-07. The germplasm was grouped as desi (pink flower, green with purplish tinge stem and colored seed coat) and kabuli (white flower, green stem and white seed coat) types. Highly significant differences were recorded among genotypes for days to 50% flowering (90-122 days), days to maturity (163-178 days), leaf area (1.73-10.92 cm^2), number of leaflets leaf^-1 (11.6-16.3), plant height (47-94 cm), 100 seed weight (13-39 g), biological yield plant^-1 (14.3-68 g), and grain yield plant^-1 (4.1-28.9 g). Grain yield plant^-1 had maximum phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation (PCV and GCV), followed by biological yield plant^-1. Heritability estimates of all the traits were high except leaf area which showed moderate heritability. Highest heritability was recorded for days to 50% flowering (93) followed by biological yield plant^-1 (89), plant height (88), 100 seed weight (82), grain yield plant-1, leaflets leaf^-1 (75) and days to maturity (68). The genotypes were identified as genetically diverse and can be utilized in future chickpea improvement programs.