Genetic effects and heterosis for seed yield and physio-biochemical traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

Abstract

A 8-parent diallel analysis was taken to investigate the genetic effects and heterosis for seed yield and 6 physio-biochemical characters in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under timely and late sown conditions at research farm of Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan during winter (rabi) seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22. Significant disproportion of GCA and SCA variances depicted that both additive and non-additive gene action plays a vital role for genetic control of all the traits. Though the relative amount of GCA/SCA was less than unity for all traits under study signifying that non-additive gene plays a key role under the environments studied. The parents CSJ-515, CSJD-884 and RSG-963 emerged as good general combiners for seed yield, additionally the parents CSJ 515 and RSG 963 were considered as good general combiners for CC and PV, whereas parent CSJD-884 for MSI, TCC and PC. The crosses CSJD 884 x RSG 963, CSJD 884 x RSG 973, CSJD 884 x Avrodhi, CSJD 884 x HC 5, RSG 963 x CSJ 515, RSG 974 x HC 5 and CSJ 515 x HC 5 showed consistent SCA effect and heterobeltiosis for seed yield and one or more heat tolerant physio-biochemical traits and projected that these crosses would provide enviable transgressive segregate for heat tolerance.