Assessment of genetic variability and trait performance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under diverse environmental conditions

The current investigation was carried out at the Seed Breeding Farm, College of Agriculture, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.) to evaluate genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for key agronomic traits in chickpea across over a period of two years during the Rabi seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 and pooled analysis. Analysis of genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation (GCV and PCV) revealed considerable variability for several yield-contributing traits. High GCV and PCV were observed for seed yield per plant, hundred seed weight, and biological yield per plant, indicating a strong genetic base for these traits. Moderate variability was recorded for number of effective and total pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and height at first fruiting node. In contrast, plant height, primary and secondary branches per plant, stem thickness, and harvest index showed moderate to low variability. Notably, genetic variability was most pronounced under very late sowing, highlighting enhanced expression of genetic differences under terminal heat stress. Broad-sense heritability estimates were generally high, especially for hundred seed weight, number of seeds per pod, and total number of pods per plant, all of which consistently exceeded 90%, indicating strong additive genetic control and selection efficiency. Traits such as seed yield per plant, biological yield, plant height, and days to flowering also recorded high heritability. Genetic advance as a percentage of mean (GAM) was highest for hundred seed weight, followed by seed yield and biological yield, demonstrating their potential for substantial improvement through selection. Moderate GAM values were observed for pod-related traits and plant height. These findings provide a strong foundation for targeted genetic improvement and climate-resilient chickpea breeding strategies.