Combining ability studies for drought tolerance attributes in kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

• Main Author: N. Jagadish and V. Jayalakshmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indian Society of Plant Breeders 2014-09-01
• Series: Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding
• Subjects: Chickpea; combining ability; gene action
• Online Access: https://sites.google.com/site/ejpb2011/vol-5-3/EJPB_V5_N3_435-441.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

An investigation was taken up with six kabuli chickpea genotypes and their 15 F1 hybrids (excluding reciprocals) during rabi 2012 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Nandyal, Andhra Prasesh, India to elucidate information on nature of gene action and to identify promising chickpea genotypes for drought tolerance attributes and seed yield. The results of analysis of variance for combining ability revealed predominance of non-additive gene effects for drought tolerant attributes like SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR), specific leaf area (cm2 g-1), relative water content (%), root length (cm) and root weight (g/plant). Superior parental genotypes with significant and desirable combing ability were KAK 2 for specific leaf area and root length; Vihar for relative water content and seed yield per plant; MNK 1 for SCMR, specific leaf area, root length and root weight; Phule G 05107 for SCMR and root weight; ICCV 95333 for specific leaf area ; NBeG 72 for specific leaf area and seed yield per plant which can be utilized in breeding programmes for improving drought tolerance in chickpea. Promising F1s with desirable sca effects (Vihar x KAK 2 for yield and rooting traits; MNK 1 x Phule G 05107 and MNK 1 x NBeG 72 for SLA; KAK 2 x Phule G 05107 and KAK 2 x NBeG 72 for SCMR) were identified which can be exploited through suitable breeding methodology for recovering superior segregants with enhanced drought tolerance coupled with high yield.