Genetic Variability Studies in Minicore Collections of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Different Environments

The present investigation was carried out on chickpea germplasm lines representing minicore collection obtained from ICRISAT, Patancheru (AP) for assessing genetic variability under three environments. Considerably high variability was observed for most of the productivity related traits in E3 (irrigated 2005–06). This was evidenced by high range of mean performance for different traits in E3 compared to E1 (rainfed 2004–05) and E2 (rainfed 2005–06). Moderately high heritability and genetic advance (GA) was observed for many productivity related traits under E3. The higher PCV, although, heritability was reduced or remained same as that under E2. These findings revealed the importance of productivity related traits giving more response under E3 than E1 and E2 for better expression for crop improvement in chickpea. Over three environments, genotype ICC 6279 was found to be early flowering irrespective of the environmental effect while ICC 1882 was found to be early flowering in E1 and E2 whereas ICC 13124 and ICC 6279 were early in flowering in both E2 and E3 compared to early flowering check JGK-1. For seed yield/plant, 24, 22 and 17 genotypes showed significantly higher yield over check A-1 in E1, E2 and E3, respectively. Out of these, ICC 13124 (31.25 g, 32.85 g and 32.95 g) is the only top yielder in all the three environments. While genotypes ICC 6279 (28.9 and 27.85 g), ICC 13892 (30.05 g and 27.65 g) and ICC 13187 (27.45 g and 36.55 g) were top yielders in both E1 and E2 and ICC 12866 (27.65 and 40.15 g) and ICC 4533 (29.38 and 38.8) were identified as top yielders in E2 and E3, while ICC 12947 (27.9 g and 40.9 g) and ICC 6877 (18 g and 35.33 g) were top yielders in E1 and E3, respectively. On overall basis, the genotype ICC 13124 was found promising for earliness, large seed size and high yield/plant in all the environments suggesting that this accession is best suited for both rainfed and irrigated condition during the rabi season