ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CORRELATION OF IMPORTANT YIELD RELATED TRAITS IN CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.)

Thirty chickpea genotypes were studied for seed yield and its components for estimating genetic variability and correlation co-efficient. Analysis of variance for seed yield and its component showed significant differences among the genotypes for all nine traits. Highly significant and positive genotypic association between primary branches/ plant and pods / plant, plant height and days to maturity, days to maturity and pods/ plant, seeds/ pod and days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and seed yield/ plant and similarly 100 seed weight and seed yield/ plant were found. Highly significant and negative genotypic correlation between primary branches/ plant and plant height; primary branches/ plant and plant width; primary branches/ plant and days to 50% flowering; primary branches/ plant and days to maturity; plant height and plant width; plant height and pods/ plant; seeds/ pod and 100 seed weight; days to 50% flowering and 100 seed weight were observed. The correlation between 100 seed weight and seed yield showed highest correlation coefficient 0.681**. This 100 seed weight may be an important criterion for seed yield improvement in chickpea.