Genetic diversity in elite lines of chickpea (Cicer aritinum) for phenological and quantitative traits

Abstract

Assemblage and assessment of divergence among genotypes is essential to know the spectrum of diversity. Recently developed 70 elite lines of desi chickpea from diverse sources sown in RCBD in seed breeding farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur (2016-17). Maximum % contribution towards the divergence observed for total number of pods plant-1 followed by height of first fruiting node, harvest index and biological yield. These characters were responsible for expressing maximum diversity between the clusters should be considered prime during selection. On the basis of D2 values 70 elite lines were grouped into 11 clusters, the maximum lines were grouped in cluster I (24 lines) followed by cluster II and VII (11 lines), IV (10 lines), III (8 lines) and cluster V, VI, VIII, IX, X and XI had only one line in each. Cluster VII was the most diversified, having highest Intra-cluster distance followed by cluster VI, III, II and I, whereas cluster V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XI were mono-genotypic. The inter cluster divergence was observed maximum between genotypes of cluster VII and VIII followed by cluster V and VIII, cluster VI and X, cluster VI and VIII, cluster V and X. Cluster VI showed maximum mean value for 100 seed weight, biological yield plant-1 had high mean value in cluster VIII, harvest index were recorded maximum in cluster V, seed yield plant-1 showed maximum value in cluster VI. Divergence elite lines viz., SAGL 152210, ICCX-090021-P19, IPC 2012-31, JG 14,JG 2016-141611, N BeG 873, Phule G 0805-17-5, JAKI 9218 grouped in different clusters, intercrossed for inducing variability in the respective characters and their rationale improvement for increasing seed yield in chickpea.