Combining ability analysis for yield and yield contributing traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

The experimental materials comprised of ten diverse lines of chickpea with five broad genetic base testers were crossed in line x tester fashion and evaluated for 11 quantitative characters in timely (E1) and late sown (E2) environments. Analysis of variances for combining ability revealed that variances due to lines x testers showed highly significant differences for all the characters in E1 and E2 except for number of seeds per pod, whereas variance due to lines was also highly significant for most of the characters studied. Variances due to testers were found highly significant for only 100 seeds weight in both the environments. The parental lines JGK 1 and ICCV 05107 with high GCA effects were identified as superior donors for seed yield per plant, biological yield per plant, harvest index and 100 seed weight in both the environments. The crosses ICCV 05107 x Subhra, JGK 1 x Subhra, JGK 1 x ICCV 10, HK 94-134 x BG 5058 in timely sown and ICCV 05107 x Subhra, JGK 1 x ICCV 10, HC 3 x Subhra, HC 3 x Phule G 5 in late sown environment showed significant & positive SCA effects for seed yield per plant as well as some other yield components.