Genetics of traits associated with pod borer resistance and seed yield in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The combining ability analysis using Line × Tester model was conducted in chickpea to know the general and specific combining ability of the distingushing parents and their crosses, respectively and to select best material for further breeding programme and generation advanceme- nt. Two genetically diverse testers viz., JAKI-۹۲۱۸ and ICCV-۲ as females and ۸ males viz., HC-۵, ICC-۵۰۶, PKV Harita, Chandrapur Chanoli, JG-۶۲, Gulak-۱, AKG-۱۰-۱ and Bushy mutant and their ۱۶ crosses along with two checks were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design for seed yield per plant under unprotected condition and pod borer resistance under field conditions. The resistant genotypes had lower percentage of pod borer damage along with higher levels of malic acid contents. The malic acid content had significant and negative association with larval count at vegetative, flowering and pod formation stage in addition to the percentage of pod damage. The parent Gulak-۱ was the best general combiner for seed yield per plant; ICC-۵۰۶ for most of the traits associated with pod borer resistance and ICCV-۲ for percent malic acid content. Therefore, these genotypes were considered as the good parental material for utilizing as one of the parents in further breeding programs as donors for the concerned traits. Two crosses viz.,ICCV-۲ × Chandrapur Chanoli, JAKI-۹۲۱۸ × ICC-۵۰۶ evinced significant sca effects in desirable direction at least for one of the traits associated with pod borer resistance along with one of the parents with a high gca effect and a high mean performance for the traits concerned, indicating opportunity for obtaining desirable segregation in further generations. A high heritability in broad sense was observed for all the traits except for larval count at the flowering stage. The non-additive variance was found predominant in inheritance of seed yield and additive variance for most of the traits associated with pod borer resistance. Hence, superior transgressive segregation may be obtained from this material either through biparental mating or diallel selective mating.