Multi‐Trait Selection of Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes Tolerance to Terminal Heat and Combined Heat–Drought Stress

ABSTRACT Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important grain legumes cultivated worldwide, serving as a major source of dietary protein, particularly in arid and semiarid regions. However, its productivity is severely constrained by abiotic stresses, with heat and combined heat–drought stress representing the most critical challenges. Under the accelerating impacts of climate change, the frequency and severity of these stresses are expected to intensify, posing substantial risks to future chickpea cultivation. In this study, 48 chickpea genotypes were systematically evaluated under three contrasting environments: optimum (normal sowing), heat stress (late sowing), and combined heat–drought stress (late sowing under a rainout shelter), across two consecutive growing seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). Highly significant genotypic variation was observed across all environments. Consistent correlations of pod number per plant, biological yield, and canopy temperature with seed yield highlighted their utility as reliable selection criteria for yield improvement under stress. Selection gains were achieved for key agronomic traits, with positive responses for flowering time, days to maturity, plant height, pod number per plant, seed yield, and biological yield, and negative responses for hundred‐seed weight and canopy temperature. Using the multi‐trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) with 15% selection intensity, seven genotypes were identified in each environment. Notably, ICCV 181664 and ICCV 191227 were consistently selected across all three stress conditions, as compared with the widely cultivated heat‐tolerant, short‐duration variety JG 14 and the high‐yielding variety BG 3062, highlighting their broad adaptability and resilience under diverse stress environments. These genotypes constitute promising genetic resources for multilocation validation and incorporation into hybridization programs to develop climate‐resilient chickpea cultivars.