Gene effects for seed yield and its components in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

An investigation was carried out to detect the gene effects for seed yield and its components by using Generation mean analysis, involving five generations (P1, P2, F1, F2 and F3) in four crosses of chickpea. The analysis of variance between families (crosses) revealed that the mean squares due to crosses were significant for all the characters studied. The analysis of variance among progenies within each family indicated significant differences among five generation means for all the characters in all the crosses except for reproductive phase duration in crosses GAG 0419 x JCP 245 and GJG 0727 x SAKI 9516 and harvest index in cross GJG 0727 x SAKI 9516. Dominance type of gene effect along with dominance x dominance type of epistasis was of immense importance for seed yield per plant in cross GAG 0419 x JCP 245. While additive gene effect as well as additive x additive type of interaction were observed in cross GJG 0719 x SAKI 9516 for the traits reproductive phase, number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant. But only additive type of main effect controlled the expression of seed yield in crosses GJG 0727 x SAKI 9516 and Dahod Yellow x IPC 2009-52. It was noticed that both additive and non-additive type of gene effects played vital role in the inheritance of days to flowering, days to maturity, reproductive phase duration, 100-seed weight and harvest index in majority of crosses. Additive gene effects can be exploited by selection method like pedigree method of selection. While non-additive may be exploited by using cyclic method of breeding. Reciprocal recurrent selection can take care of additive as well as non-additive type of gene effects.