Unveiling Genetic Potential for Enhanced Phosphorus Use Efficiency in Elite Lines of Chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.)

ABSTRACT Background Phosphorus (P) is vital for chickpea growth and reproduction, but its low availability, intensified by slow diffusion and high P demand of root nodules, poses challenges. Aim To address this, enhancing P‐use efficiency (PUE) through breeding is crucial. Methods Our study evaluated 25 elite lines for 4 root and 7 P‐related traits under both applied and control P conditions. Results The results revealed significant genetic variations in the traits wherein PG 298 showed comparable root length and diameter under both the conditions indicating its use as donor for efficient acquisition of P reserves in deficient soils. In general, P application enhanced genotypic performance of which PG 328 showed high P content and uptake which may be accredited to its tap root length and root collar diameter thus holding promise for P uptake efficiency. Although PG 266 exhibited high yield, PG 318 demonstrated highest PUE by efficiently converting P uptake into seed yield, attributed to its robust root system. Traits for P content and uptake displayed notable genetic coefficient of variation and heritability, thus promising for selection. Phenotypic and genotypic correlations indicated strong positive associations between P uptake at maturity and yield per plant. Out of 23 traits, total P uptake alone contributed 66% to genetic diversity followed by shoot P uptake, biomass yield, and seed P uptake thus emphasizing their importance in crossing programs. Conclusion Hence, this research highlighted the importance of genetic variability parameters for selecting lines with high PUE and understanding genetic architecture for breeding varieties suitable for low P environments.