Trait associations and diversity analysis based on quantitative traits under moisture stress conditions in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Two hundred and sixteen genotypes of chickpea were evaluated to assess the genetic diversity for various agronomic traits. The study revealed that all the genotypes were signicantly different for the traits and a wide range of variability exists for most of the traits. Correlation studies exhibited that seed yield had positive signicant correlation with 100-seed weight, number of branches per plant and number of pod per plant. Cluster analysis classied 216 genotypes into 10 distinct groups. A large number of genotypes (51) were placed in cluster IV followed by cluster I with 45 genotypes. The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters V and X indicating the possibility of high heterotic effect if the individuals from these clusters are cross-bred. Principal component analysis yielded 12 eigen vectors and PCA analysis revealed signicant variations among traits with ve major principal components explaining about 75.58 per cent of variations. The estimates of eigen value associated with the principal components and their respective relative and accumulated variances explained 41.95 per cent of total variation in the rst two components. The characters with highest weight in component rst were root weight, root girth, number of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant, number of pods per plant, plant height and number of primary branches which explained 25.08 per cent of the total variance. The results of principal component analysis were closely in line with those of the cluster analysis. On the basis of inter cluster distances, cluster means, per se performance observed in the present study the four genotypes viz., IC407968, IC408198, ICC3498 and EC538477 were found to be superior and can be used as a potent parents for improvement of seed yield in chickpea.