Abstract:
Chickpea is an important pulse crop in Ethiopia; however, the production of the crop is
not at its potential due to many constraints of which limited availability of high yielding
varieties. Thus the main objectives of this study were to estimate genetic variability and
assess associations of yield and yield related traits of chickpea genotypes. Forty nine
kabuli chickpea genotypes were evaluated for 13 traits in 2019/20 at Arsi Robe using 7x 7
simple lattice designs with two replications. The analysis of variance result showed
significant differences among genotypes. The phenotypic variances were higher than the
genotypic variance, implying the influence of environment on the performance of
genotypes for the traits. Genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) ranged from 1.28 for
days to maturity to 41.74% for grain yield and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV)
ranged from 1.47 to 44.06% for days to maturity and grain yield, respectively. Low
heritability (49.6%) for plant height to high heritability (89.7%) for grain yield was
recorded. Genetic advance as present of mean ranged from 2.29% for days to maturity to
81.55% for grain yield. High broad sense heritability coupled with high genetic advance
was observed for grain yield (89.7% and 81.55%), number of secondary branch (73.4%
and 41.04%) and hundred seed weight (80.2% and 20.88%). Grain yield showed highly
significant and positive genotypic correlations with grain filling period, number of pod per
plant, number of seed per plant and plant height. Genotypic path coefficient analysis
showed that days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seed per plant, plant
height and hundred seed weight had positive direct effects on grain yield. Number of pods’
per plant (0.243) exhibited a maximum positive direct effect on grain yield followed by
number of seed per plant (0.236). Cluster analysis showed the existence of wide variability
among genotypes and grouped into six clusters. Maximum inter cluster distances were
observed from cluster-IV and III followed by cluster IV and V, and cluster II and IV, while
minimum inter cluster distances were found between cluster II and VI followed by cluster
III and VI. The first three principal components explained about 66.1% of the total
variations among the 49 kabuli chickpea genotypes. The first component accounts 34.58%
of the total variation. It provides better opportunity for plant breeders to select parental
materials to use for crossing in the breeding program. However, it requires multi-location
and year trials to verify the consistency of existing genotypic variability.
