Characterization of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes based on agromorphological traits

The current study evaluated 44 chickpea genotypes during Rabi 2023-24 for seed yield and its component traits at Research cum Instructional Field, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, IGKV, Raipur College of Agriculture, Raipur Chhattisgarh.The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with 44 genotypes in three replications to assess the genetic variability parameters, correlation, path and genetic divergence analysis.The mean sum of squares for genotypes were highly significant for all the traits except number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, pods per plant and seed yield per plant.PCV were greater in magnitude than the GCV.High magnitude of PCV coupled with GCV was exhibited only by plot yield in grams and number of primary branches.High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded by plot yield in grams, number of primary branches and biological yield.Overall, plot yield in grams and number of primary branches were the only traits to have high values of PCV, GCV, h 2 (bs) and GA as percent of mean.Plot yield in grams had significant and positive correlation with hundred seed weight, harvest index and seed yield per plant whereas, significant negative correlation was recorded by days to 50 % flowering.Based on direct and indirect effect, high positive direct effect on seed yield was exhibited by pods per plant, followed by hundred seed weight and harvest index at phenotypic level.The 44 genotypes were grouped into 6 clusters.The highest number of genotypes appeared in Cluster I, which contain 39 genotypes followed by Cluster II, III, IV, V, and VI had one accession, respectively.