Genetic Diversity and Correlation Studies in Chickpea (2017) PDF

Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Research Article Genetic diversity and correlation studies in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) based on morphological traits S.M. Samyuktha, S. Geethanjali and J.R. K...

Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Research Article Genetic diversity and correlation studies in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) based on morphological traits S.M. Samyuktha, S. Geethanjali and J.R. Kannan Bapu Department of Pulses, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 003. E-mail: [email protected] (Received: 01 June 2017; Revised: 15 Aug 2017; Accepted: 28 Aug 2017) Abstract The present study was conducted to evaluate the selection criteria in 48 chickpea germplasm accessions using correlation, path analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis based on fourteen morphological traits. These traits included seven vegetative traits (viz., plant height, plant width, number of basal primary branches per plant, number of apical primary branches per plant, number of basal secondary branches per plant, number of apical secondary branches per plant and number of tertiary branches per plant), one flowering trait (days to fifty per cent flowering) and six yield related traits (days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, hundred seed weight and single plant yield). Basic descriptive statistics showed normal distribution for six morphological traits. However significant and positive skewness were observed for plant width (1.15), number of apical primary branches per plant (1.68), number of basal secondary branches per plant (1.18), number of tertiary branches per plant (1.86), days to maturity (0.91), number of seeds per pod (0.78), number of seeds per plant (0.72) and hundred seed weight (1.48). ANOVA revealed that significant genotypic variation existed for most of the traits. Traits such as plant width (0.346), number of pods per plant (0.788), number of seeds per pod (0.055), number of seeds per plant (0.675) and hundred seed weight (0.477) exhibited significant positive correlation with single plant yield whereas a strong negative association was exhibited by days to fifty per cent flowering (-0.418) and days to maturity (-0.331). Correlation among component traits revealed a strong negative association of hundred seed weight with seeds per pod (-0.36). Path analysis specified that the highest positive direct effect on single plant yield was exerted by number of pods per plant (0.86) and hundred seed weight (0.589). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first five components with Eigen values more than one contributed to a maximum of 77.58 per cent of the variability. PC1 contributed 26.59 per cent of the total variation and the traits contributing to maximum variation in first component included plant width (0.712), number of pods per plant (0.692), number of seeds per plant (0.621), number of apical secondary branches per plant (0.54) and plant height (0.538). The Wards method of hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the accessions into two major clusters. Cluster I comprised of genotypes with high mean values for hundred seed weight (20.65) whereas cluster II, showed superior contribution for number of pods per plant (40.27), number of seeds per pod (1.06), number of seeds per plant (42.52) and single plant yield (6.88g). The grouping of chickpea germplasm based on various agro-morphological traits would be useful to identify the promising genotypes for effective utilization in future breeding programmes. Key words Chickpea, Correlation, Path analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Cluster analysis. Introduction depict the nature of association of different traits Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) also known as "poor and their effects on yield, PCA and cluster analysis man’s meat and rich man’s vegetable" is the help in revealing the magnitude of genetic second most important food legume in the world diversity. To obtain efficient recombinants, the after beans in terms of area (13.5 million identified component traits need to be combined hectares) and production (13.1 million tons) from diverse parents through recombination (FAOSTAT 2016). Chickpea contains two to three breeding followed by selection of transgressive times more protein and oil in their seeds compared segregants. The proficient transgressive segregants to cereals (Tonk et al., 2010) which eventually for yield increment as well as resistant to various fulfill the protein need of the expanding stresses can be obtained by effectively utilizing the population. Unlike most pulse crops, chickpea is chickpea germplasm comprising of diverse land low in anti-nutritional factors and it improves soil races, exotic and wild relatives in crossing nutrition by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Evolving programmes instead of using few closely related new varieties with enhanced performance over the lines. Hence the present study was formulated with existing varieties is the ultimate aim of formulating the objective to assess the genetic diversity for any dexterous breeding program. Since yield is a desirable traits among chickpea germplasm lines complex character and influenced by many so as to utilize them in future breeding environmental factors, direct selection based on programmes. yield may not be rewarding. Therefore a basic understanding of the nature and magnitude of Materials and Methods correlation among component traits towards yield Forty eight chickpea germplasm accessions is essential. While correlation and path analysis obtained from ICRISAT along with three checks http://ejplantbreeding.com 874  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X viz., Co 4, JAKI 9218 and Thuraiyur local were distribution. Analysis of variance (Table 2) planted in augmented block design during Rabi revealed that there was highly significant 2015 in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, difference among most of the characters viz., plant Coimbatore, India. The accessions were raised in height, number of basal primary branches per seven blocks each consisting of seven accessions plant, number of apical primary branches per plant, and the three checks. Each accession was sown in number of basal secondary branches per plant, a single row of four meter length in ridges and number of tertiary branches per plant, days to fifty furrows with a spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm. All the per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of recommended agronomic practices were carried seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, hundred out during the crop growth period. The seed weight and single plant yield where as observations were recorded on five randomly significant difference was shown by number of selected plants in each accession based on pods per plant. descriptors of chickpea (ICRISAT, 1988). The observations were recorded for fourteen different Correlation coefficient is an important biometrical traits viz., plant height (cm), plant width (cm), tool for formulating the selection index, as it number of basal primary branches per plant, reveals the strength of relationship among the number of apical primary branches per plant, group of characters. In the present study, number number of basal secondary branches per plant, of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of apical secondary branches per plant, number of seeds per plant and hundred seed weight number of tertiary branches per plant, days to fifty showed a highly significant positive association per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of with single plant yield (Table 3). The positive pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number association of number of pods per plant and of seeds per plant, hundred seed weight(g) and number of seeds per plant with single plant yield single plant yield(g). The mean data of five have also been reported by Kobraee et al. (2010) randomly selected plants in each accession for whereas Yadav et al. (2012) reported positive each trait were used for determining the range, association of hundred seed weight with single mean, variance and standard deviation. Analysis of plant yield. The association of number of seed per variance (ANOVA) was obtained by using PB- pod to single plant yield was akin to the findings of Tools. Correlation and path analysis were Malik et al. (2014). On contrary the negative performed using TNAUSTAT (Manivannan, association of seeds per pod with single plant yield 2014). PCA was performed using the statistical was given by Yadav et al. (2012). Plant width also package SPSS 16.0 version. Cluster analysis was exhibited significant positive correlation with done using the Wards method of hierarchical single plant yield. Selection of parents based on clustering technique (Ward, 1963) and the these traits can help in yield improvement in accessions were grouped based on similarity chickpea. matrix as implemented in Darwin software version 6 (Dissimilarity Analysis and Representation for The traits viz., days to fifty per cent flowering and windows) V.6.0.013 (Perrier and Jacquemoud- days to maturity showed a significant negative Collet, 2006). association with single plant yield. Though early flowering accessions produce reduced yield than Results and Discussion the late flowering ones, it is desirable in case of The results of basic descriptive statistics for 14 arid and semiarid conditions under which majority quantitative traits studied in chickpea germplasm of chickpea is grown, using the available soil showed considerable diversity (Table 1). Among moisture and also escape from the biotic and the fourteen quantitative traits studied eight traits abiotic stresses that occurs during the late growing viz., plant width (1.15), number of apical primary season. Hence evolving early flowering genotypes branches per plant (1.68), number of basal coupled with high yield remains a key objective in secondary branches per plant (1.18), number of chickpea breeding programmes. But this negative tertiary branches per plant (1.86), days to maturity association with yield could be compensated by (0.91), number of seeds per pod (0.78), number of adopting appropriate breeding methods like bi - seeds per plant (0.72) and hundred seed weight parental mating or diallel selective mating. (1.48) were significantly and positively skewed. Excess kurtosis was estimated for the fourteen Correlation among the component characters traits, significant leptokurtic distribution was revealed that days to fifty per cent flowering and shown by six traits namely plant width (2.02), days to maturity showed significant positive number of apical primary branches per plant correlation with each other and significant negative (3.15), number of basal secondary branches per correlation with hundred seed weight. Similar plant (1.48), number of tertiary branches per plant findings were reported by Malik et al. (2014). (5.12), days to maturity (1.69) and hundred seed Plant height and plant width exhibited significant weight (1.68). The traits days to fifty per cent positive correlation with each other and also with flowering, plant height, number of pods per plant number of basal secondary branches per plant, and single plant yield showed platy kurtic number of apical secondary branches per plant, http://ejplantbreeding.com 875  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X number of tertiary branches per plant and hundred negative correlation between these two traits as seed weight. Number of basal primary branches observed from the present study. The competition per plant showed significant positive correlation for moisture and nutrients also leads to reduced with number of basal secondary branches per seed size and weight. plant, number of seeds per pod and number of seeds per plant. Owing to the increase in number The results of correlation in the present study of primary branches the number of secondary indicated that the traits viz., number of pods per branches also increase resulting in more vegetative plant, number of seeds per plant and hundred seed growth of the plant. This in turn results in the weight had major contribution towards higher seed production of more number of flowers and pods yield in chickpea. Apart from these traits there are per plant due to increased photosynthate other traits which contribute indirectly towards production. Number of apical primary branches per seed yield. Correlation measures the nature and plant showed significant positive correlation with degree of association only between pair of traits number of basal secondary branches per plant and where as path provides the magnitude and significant negative correlation with number of direction of association between component traits. seeds per pod. This indicates that although number Selection practiced based on path analysis provides of branches per plant increases the number of pods, better results since improvement can be made in it results in less number of seeds per pod which desirable direction. reflects the source to sink relation and partitioning of assimilates. Number of basal secondary Grain yield is determined by the number of seeds branches exhibited significant positive correlation formed per unit area of the plant and also the with number of pods per plant. The strong average weight of the individual seeds. As the seed association of primary and secondary branches per size and number plays a vital role in chickpea plant with number of pods per plant was reported improvement programmes, knowledge of these by Zali et al. (2011) and Malik et al. (2014). traits contributing towards phenotypic variation for Tertiary branches per plant showed significant both these traits and their direct and indirect share positive correlation with number of apical towards yield is essential (Monpara and Gaikwad, secondary branches per plant and hundred seed 2014). Path coefficient analysis is one of the weight. An understanding on branching behavior is reliable statistical techniques in quantifying the important in chickpea as it influences the pattern of interrelationships between different yield flower production, number of flowers produced contributing components, keeping yield as and pod rentention. In a study under taken to dependent variable (Mushtaq et al., 2013) quantify the flower and pod abortion in chickpea, Zaiter and Barakat (1995) found that in general, Path analysis showed that the maximum positive primary branches, secondary branches and main direct effect contributing to single plant yield was stem contributed 54 per cent, 27 per cent and l9 per exhibited by number of pods per plant (0.86) cent respectively to the final pod yield. The yield followed by hundred seed weight (0.589), which obtained after stress at flowering and during pod- implied that direct selection for these characters filling came mainly from flowers on primary and would improve the single plant yield (Table 4). secondary branches compared to flowers on the These results were in correspondence with the main stem. Most of the pods produced from findings made by Hasan and Deb (2014). primary and secondary branches on the basal nodes 1-3 from the main stem were retained. This The traits days to fifty per cent flowering (-0.141) explains for the positive correlation exhibited by and number of apical primary branches per plant basal primary and secondary branches with (-0.139) displayed negative and low direct effect number of pods, number of seeds and overall seed on single plant yield. However Mushtaq et al. yield per plant. (2013) using 17 chickpea genotypes with 3 checks reported that days taken to flowering had In the present study, number of pods per plant maximum direct influence on seed yield per plant. exhibited significant positive correlation with Days to maturity exhibited positive and low direct number of seeds per plant (Monpara and Gaikwad, effect on single plant yield. Mushtaq et al. (2013) 2014), while number of seeds per plant exhibited a reported positive direct effect of days to fifty per negative correlation with hundred seed weight cent flowering and negative effect of days to (Yadav et al., 2012). The availability of assimilates maturity with single plant yield. to the reproductive organs during flowering determines the seed number and weight, both of Among the component traits studied, high and these traits can be improved by the prioritized significant indirect effect on yield was attributed separation of dry matter to reproductive parts by number of seeds per plant via number of pods which in turn influence the yield (Heitholt et al., per plant (0.794). Such an observation has also 1986). A striking balance between quality and the been reported by Hasan and Deb (2014). These quantity of assimilates partitioned and accumulated findings indicate that indirect selection for seed in the reproductive parts may explain for the yield in chickpea can be made through number of http://ejplantbreeding.com 876  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X pods per plant. The residual effect of path analysis explained about 9.15 and 7.47 per cent of the total in the present study was low (0.2107), which variation respectively and were contributed by the indicated that the traits included in the study were branching behaviour of the genotypes. It was sufficient enough to explain their pattern of evident from PC 4 and PC 5 that, whenever basal interaction on yield. From the path analysis the primary and secondary branches increased, the traits number of pods per plant and hundred seed production of apical and tertiary branches were weight showed maximum direct effect on single reduced and also had an impact either on seeds per plant yield. Both these traits exhibited highly pod or pods per plant. Malik et al. (2014) reported significant and positive association with single the major contribution of days to fifty per cent plant yield. Therefore to increase the yield flowering, days to maturity, plant height, pods per potential in chickpea the emphasis should be given plant, single plant yield and biological yield to PC to the selection based on these traits. 2 whereas PC4 was attributed by primary branches, secondary branches, seeds per pod and The mean data of fourteen quantitative traits were hundred seed weight. Malik et al. (2014) also subjected to principal component analysis that reported that PC 1 was positively contributed by follows a data reductionist approach involving a seed yield, biomass yield, number of pods per linear combination of optimally-weighted observed plant, number of secondary branches per plant and variables and helps in identifying the plant traits plant height whereas days to flowering, days to that contribute most towards the total variation. maturity and hundred seed weight were positively PCA analysis revealed that the first five associated with PC 2. components in the PCA analysis contributed to a maximum of 77.58 per cent of the variability Cluster analysis is an important technique to among 48 genotypes. These five principal classify the data which facilitates for dividing the components were retained based on the scree plot germplasm into various homogenous groupings. and threshold Eigen value greater than 1 (Table 5, Cluster analysis facilitates to group the genotypes Fig. 1 and 2). The Eigen values for PC 1, PC 2, PC on the basis of morpho-genetic traits. Cluster 3, PC 4 and PC 5 were 3.72, 2.57, 2.24, 1.28 and analysis assists in minimizing of the variance 1.05 respectively. within the group whereas maximizing of the variance among groups and also helps in The first principal component PC 1, explained identifying of outliers. 26.59 per cent of the total variation and was characterized by vegetative and yield contributing Hierarchical clustering technique based on 14 characters viz., plant height, plant width, number of quantitative trait data using Ward’s method secondary branches per plant, number of pods per resulted in two major clusters (Fig. 3). Comparison plant, number of seeds per plant, hundred seed of mean values of these clusters revealed that weight and single plant yield. From PC 1 it was cluster I consisted of 29 accessions which were evident, that an increase in plant height and width further subdivided into four sub-clusters viz., Ia, Ib, led to an increased branching behaviour in Ic and Id. Out of these four sub-clusters, the first chickpea genotypes, resulting in increased pods three sub-clusters were characterized by poor basal and seeds per plant, thereby boosting the single branching habit, and showed poor performance for plant yield in a positive direction. However, late single plant yield and yield attributing traits. A flowering and late maturing traits are shown to further insight into the sub-clusters identified sub- have a negative influence on yield. Nawab et al. cluster Ia with low yielding genotypes with mean (2013) has also reported that the early maturing single plant yield of 3g, sub-cluster 1b with late genotypes might result in more number of maturing (102 days) and low yielding (2.1g) secondary branches and increased plant height. genotypes, and sub-cluster Ic exhibiting small seeded genotypes. However sub-cluster Id was PC 2 accounted for 18.37 per cent of the total predominated by early maturing genotypes and variation and was characterized mainly by pod and high yielding genotypes especially with higher seed traits. Here, an increase in number of pods per mean value for hundred seed weight (37.3g) plant and number of seeds per pod resulted in an compared to all the seven sub - clusters. increase in the number of seeds per plant, but resulted in a corresponding decrease in seed size, Cluster II comprised of a total of 19 genotypes which is evident from effect of hundred seed with high mean values for single plant yield (6.88 weight in relation to seed yield. g), number of pods per plant (40.27) and number of seeds per plant (42.52). The cluster 2 was PC 3 accounted for 16 per cent of the total further subdivided into three sub-clusters based on variation and the communalities of PC 3 were yield performance. Sub-cluster IIa possessed attributed to the flowering behaviour of the genotypes with more number of seeds per plant genotype, wherein an increase in days to 50 per with a mean of 42.40, coupled with a longer cent flowering always resulted in a corresponding maturity period (96 days) compared to genotypes increase in the days to maturity. PC 4 and PC 5 in other sub-clusters. Sub-cluster IIb comprised of http://ejplantbreeding.com 877  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X early maturing genotypes (87 days) with high Hasan, M.T. and Deb, A.C. 2014. Estimates of direct number of pods per plant (40.28) and high single and indirect effects between yield and yield plant yield (8.08 g). The highest seed bearing components and selection indices in chickpea genotype ICC 10653 producing about 76 seeds per (Cicer arietinum L.). Tropical Plant Research, 1(2) : 65-72. plant on an average formed a solitary sub-cluster Heitholt, J.J., Egli, D.B. and Leggett, J.E. 1986. IIc (seeds per plant – 76). Characteristics of reproductive abortion in soybean. Crop Sci., 26 : 589-594. The selection of diverse parents should be based ICRISAT. 1988. Annual Report, 1987. Patancheru, on the component characters of yield that leads to India: International Crops Research Institute better adaptation of the crop. For example the for the Semi- Arid Tropics, 390. genotypes grouped under cluster II of the present Kobraee, S., Shamsi, K. and Rasekhi, B. 2010. study, having more number of pods per plant, Investigation of correlation analysis and seeds per pod and single plant yield can be utilized relationships between grain yield and other as potential donors for enhancing the yield of other quantitative traits in chickpea (Cicer genotypes. arietinum L.). Afr. J. of Biotechnol., 9(16) : 2342-2348. In a study by Malik et al. (2014) 11 genotypes with Malik, S.R., Shabbir, G., Zubur, M., Iqbal, S.M. and higher mean value for hundred seed weight Ali, A. 2014. Genetic diversity analysis of grouped into a single cluster which is similar to the morpho-genetic traits in Desi chickpea (Cicer sub – cluster Id of the present study. A study arietinum L.). International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 16(5) : 956-960. under taken by Zali et al. (2011) using 17 chickpea Manivanan, N. 2014. TNAUSTAT-Statistical package. genotypes obtained three clusters in which Retrived from genotypes with maximum plant height, more https://sites.google.com/site/tnaustat. number of secondary branches, seeds per plant, Monpara, B.A. and Gaikwad, S.R. 2014. Combining pods per plant and in turn resulted in higher seed high seed number and weight to improve seed yield formed a major cluster which is in yield potential of chickpea in India. African correspondence with the cluster II of the present Crop Science Journal, 22(1) : 1 – 7. study. In line with the clusters obtained from the Mushtaq, M.A., Bajwa, M.M. and Saleem, M. 2013. present study, Nawab et al. (2013), reported that Estimation of genetic variability and path analysis of grain yield and its components in genotypes with better grain yield and yield chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). International components grouped under a single cluster, while Journal of Science & Engineering long duration types with high number of seeds per Research, 4(1) : 1-4. pod grouped as a separate cluster based on Nawab, N.N., Subhani, G.M. and Ullah, M.N. 2013. morphological marker based genetic diversity Patterns of morphological diversity and study involving 20 genotypes. Thus, variability character association in chickpea genotypes among the genotypes was compressed into various through multivariate approach. Journal of heterotic groups which are particularly important Animal and Plant Sciences, 23(4) : 1107-1114. for utilizing the germplasm in hybrid breeding Perrier, X. and Jacquemoud-Collet, J.P. 2006. DARwin software. Available at programs in chickpea. Crossing programmes http://darwin.cirad.fr/darwin. (The weighted involving selected genotypes from cluster Id with pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster II would be useful in breeding for high dendrogram was produced using the DARwin yielding chickpea varieties. software (Perrier and Jacquemoud-Collet 2006)). The present investigation depicts that the chickpea Tonk, F.A., Ilker, E. and Tosun, M. 2010. A study to germplasm displayed considerable genetic incorporate high protein content from diversity for most of the traits under consideration. tetraploid wheat (T. turgidum dicoccoides) to The traits viz., number of pods per plant and hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum vulgare). Turk. hundred seed weight were found to be important J. Field Crops, 15 : 69-72. yield attributing traits since these traits showed Ward, J.H. 1963. Hierarchical groupings to optimize an maximum direct effect and significant positive objective function. J. Am. Stat. Assoc., 58 : association with single plant yield as well as 236–244. Yadav, P., Tripathi, D.K., Khan K.K. and Yadav, A.K. contributed for maximum variation in first 2012. Character association and path component of PCA. Clustering of germplasm coefficient analysis in chickpea (Cicer based on various morphological traits has also arietinum L.) under late sown conditions. helped in identifying suitable parents to get better Forage Res., 37 (4) : 258-262. recombinants, and the chickpea germplasm can be Zaiter, H.Z. and Barakat, S.G. 1995. Flower and pod effectively utilized in future breeding programs for abortion in chickpea as affected by sowing developing high yielding varieties. date and cultivar. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 75 : 321-327. References Zali, H., Farshadfar, F. and Sabaghpour, S.H. 2011. Faostat, F., 2016. Agriculture Organization of the United Genetic variability and interrelationships Nations Statistics Division. Production among agronomic traits in chickpea (Cicer Available in: http://faostat3. fao. arietinum L.) genotypes. Crop Breeding org/browse/Q/QC/S. Journal, 1(2) : 127-132. http://ejplantbreeding.com 878  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Table 1. Basic descriptive statistics for 14 quantitative traits studied in chickpea germplasm S.No. Characters Mean±2SE Minimum Genotypes Maximum Genotypes SD Skewness Kurtosis 1 Plant height 35.14±1.18 27.10 ICC 5434 43.76 ICC 1052 4.08 0.49 -0.20 2 Plant width 24.21±0.84 18.10 ICC 1356 33.21 ICC 4958 2.90 1.15* 2.02 3 No. of basal primary branches/plant 2.89±0.15 1.60 ICC 8274 4.20 ICC 1052 0.52 0.11 0.79 4 No. of apical primary branches/plant 3.44±0.43 1.80 ICC 10130 8.80 ICC 1392 1.49 1.68* 3.15 5 No. of basal secondary branches/plant 7.49±0.75 4.00 ICC 1356 15.80 ICC 1052 2.58 1.18* 1.48 6 No. of apical secondary branches/plant 4.11±0.53 0.20 ICC 6098 8.60 ICC 8274 1.84 0.34 0.07 7 No. of tertiary branches/plant 2.53±0.62 0.00 ICC 2919 11.00 ICC 1392 2.16 1.86* 5.12 ICC 4567 ICC 5378 ICC 5434 ICC 6098 ICC 6920 8 Days to 50 per cent flowering 52.27±2.42 32.00 ICC 4951 69.00 ICC 2919 8.39 -0.16 -0.03 ICC 6920 9 Days to maturity 92.95±2.01 80.00 ICC 4951 115.00 ICC 2919 6.95 0.91* 1.69 10 No. of pods/plant 29.28±3.34 8.40 ICC 10685 59.80 ICC 10653 11.58 0.29 -0.27 11 No. of seeds/pod 1.01±0.05 0.77 ICC 1356 1.45 ICC 3512 0.17 0.78* 0.13 ICC 16903 ICC 2210 ICC 4495 ICC 4814 ICC 5679 ICC 6098 ICC 10448 12 No. of seeds/plant 29.96±3.95 8.00 ICC 2919 76.00 ICC 10653 13.71 0.72* 1.21 13 Hundred seed weight 18.94±2.14 10.23 ICC 13892 41.73 ICC 4958 7.41 1.48* 1.68 14 Single plant yield 5.23±0.79 1.12 ICC 10685 12.24 ICC 13464 2.72 0.53 -0.20 http://ejplantbreeding.com 879  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Table 2. ANOVA test for significance of genotypic effect on trait variation for fourteen quantitative traits in chickpea Degrees of Mean sum of Trait Sum of squares F value Probability (>F) freedom squares Plant height 47 1157.36 24.62** 5.24 0.0025 Plant width 47 420.52 8.95 2.24 0.0322 No. of basal primary branches/ plant 47 14.00 0.30** 4.32 0.0038 No. of apical primary branches/ plant 47 91.47 1.95** 16.84 0.0000 No. of basal secondary branches/ plant 47 357.01 7.60** 43.98 0.0000 No. of apical secondary branches/ plant 47 155.82 3.32 2.00 0.0959 No. of tertiary branches/ plant 47 236.50 5.03** 3.80 0.0016 Days to 50 per cent flowering 47 4122.64 87.72** 28.27 0.0000 Days to maturity 47 2463.12 52.41** 17.75 0.0000 No. of pods per plant 47 7004.24 149.03* 3.08 0.0180 No. of seeds per pod 47 1.35 0.03** 3.99 0.0054 No. of seeds per plant 47 9218.21 196.13** 3.61 0.0085 Hundred seed weight 47 4280.28 91.07** 59.77 0.0000 Single plant yield 47 604.07 12.85** 4.41 0.0034 **Significance (1% level) *Significance (5% level) Table 3. Simple correlation coefficients among the 14 quantitative characters in chickpea PH PW BPB APB BSB ASB TB DFF DM PPP SPP SPPT HSW SPY PH 1 PW 0.570** 1 BPB 0.261 0.237 1 APB 0.248 0.281 0.014 1 BSB 0.388** 0.427** 0.340* 0.313* 1 ASB 0.368** 0.493** -0.073 -0.004 0.254 1 TB 0.340* 0.412** -0.151 0.271 0.083 0.512** 1 DFF 0.079 -0.196 0.130 0.091 0.141 -0.0253 0.042 1 DM 0.071 -0.236 0.079 0.117 -0.003 -0.194 -0.055 0.782** 1 PPP 0.054 0.176 0.212 -0.041 0.305* 0.185 0.073 -0.250 -0.217 1 SPP 0.060 -0.003 0.291* -0.354* 0.011 -0.037 0.041 0.025 0.165 0.226 1 SPPT 0.061 0.139 0.316* -0.160 0.243 0.140 0.056 -0.210 -0.121 0.924** 0.553 1 HSW 0.355* 0.433** -0.088 0.223 -0.040 0.166 0.385** -0.350* -0.345* -0.084 -0.360* -0.219 1 SPY 0.282 0.346* 0.166 -0.045 0.184 0.247 0.210 -0.418** -0.331* 0.788** 0.055** 0.675** 0.477** 1 **Significance (1% level) *Significance (5% level) PH=Plant height, PW=Plant width, BPB=Basal primary branches/plant, APB=Apical primary branches/plant, BSB=Basal secondary branches/plant, ASB=Apical secondary branches/plant, TB= Tertiary branches/plant, DFF=Days to 50 per cent flowering, DM=Days to maturity, PPP=No. of pods/plant, SPP=No. of seeds/pod, SPPT=No. of seeds/plant, HSW=Hundred seed weight, SPY=Single plant yield. http://ejplantbreeding.com 880  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Table 4. Direct and indirect effect of component characters on single plant yield as revealed from path analysis PH PW BPB APB BSB ASB TB DFF DM PPP SPP SPPT HSW Correlation PH 0.091 -0.042 0.013 -0.034 -0.005 0.020 -0.015 -0.011 0.011 0.047 0.000 -0.002 0.209 0.281 PW 0.052 -0.073 0.011 -0.039 -0.005 0.027 -0.018 0.028 -0.038 0.151 0.000 -0.005 0.255 0.345 BPB 0.024 -0.017 0.048 -0.002 -0.004 -0.004 0.007 -0.018 0.013 0.184 0.001 -0.012 -0.050 0.169 APB 0.023 -0.020 0.001 -0.139 -0.004 0.000 -0.012 -0.013 0.019 -0.036 -0.001 0.006 0.131 -0.047 BSB 0.035 -0.031 0.016 -0.043 -0.012 0.013 -0.004 -0.020 -0.001 0.263 0.000 -0.009 -0.023 0.185 ASB 0.034 -0.036 -0.004 0.001 -0.003 0.053 -0.023 0.004 -0.031 0.159 0.000 -0.005 0.098 0.247 TB 0.031 -0.030 -0.007 -0.038 -0.001 0.027 -0.044 -0.006 -0.009 0.063 0.000 -0.002 0.227 0.211 DFF 0.007 0.014 0.006 -0.013 -0.002 -0.001 -0.002 -0.141 0.125 -0.215 0.000 0.008 -0.206 -0.419 DM 0.006 0.017 0.004 -0.016 0.000 -0.010 0.002 -0.110 0.160 -0.188 0.001 0.005 -0.204 -0.333 PPP 0.005 -0.013 0.010 0.006 -0.004 0.010 -0.003 0.035 -0.035 0.860 0.001 -0.035 -0.048 0.789 SPP 0.007 0.000 0.014 0.046 0.000 -0.001 -0.002 -0.012 0.032 0.149 0.004 -0.019 -0.215 0.003 SPPT 0.006 -0.010 0.015 0.022 -0.003 0.008 -0.003 0.030 -0.019 0.794 0.002 -0.038 -0.129 0.675 HSW 0.032 -0.031 -0.004 -0.031 0.001 0.009 -0.017 0.049 -0.055 -0.071 -0.001 0.008 0.589 0.477 *Bolded values indicate the direct effects to yield (path coefficients) *Other values indicate the indirect effects via different pathways to yield except the correlation values. PH=Plant height, PW=Plant width, BPB=Basal primary branches/plant, APB=Apical primary branches/plant, BSB=Basal secondary branches/plant, ASB=Apical secondary branches/plant, TB= Tertiary branches/plant, DFF=Days to 50 per cent flowering, DM=Days to maturity, PPP=No. of pods/plant, SPP=No. of seeds/pod, SPPT=No. of seeds/plant, HSW=Hundred seed weight, SPY=Single plant yield. Table 5. Eigen values, percent of total variation and component matrix for the principal component axes PC 1 PC 2 PC 3 PC 4 PC 5 Eigen value 3.722 2.571 2.241 1.281 1.046 Variance% 26.586 18.367 16.004 9.151 7.473 Cumulative% 26.586 44.954 60.957 70.108 77.581 http://ejplantbreeding.com 881  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Component matrix Component Characters 1 2 3 4 5 Plant height 0.538 -0.338 0.470 0.012 -0.287 Plant width 0.712 -0.370 0.220 -0.017 -0.258 No. of basal primary branches/plant 0.276 0.337 0.437 -0.411 -0.475 No. of apical primary branches plant 0.154 -0.501 0.307 -0.434 0.404 No. of basal secondary branches/plant 0.467 -0.011 0.508 -0.388 0.094 No. of apical secondary branches/ plant 0.540 -0.267 0.148 0.515 0.060 No. of tertiary branches plant 0.454 -0.433 0.179 0.538 0.212 Days to 50% flowering -0.410 -0.012 0.775 0.119 0.211 Days to maturity -0.433 0.093 0.712 0.092 0.213 No. of pods/plant 0.692 0.583 -0.076 -0.082 0.384 No. of seeds/pod 0.088 0.601 0.316 0.418 -0.368 No. of seeds/plant 0.621 0.741 0.034 0.060 0.185 Hundred seed weight 0.448 -0.627 -0.311 -0.070 -0.141 Single plant yield 0.826 0.213 -0.251 -0.065 0.155 http://ejplantbreeding.com 882  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X Figure 1. Scree plot for 14 quantitative traits in chickpea germplasm Figure 2. Three dimensional component plots for 14 quantitative traits in chickpea germplasm http://ejplantbreeding.com 883  Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 8(3): 874-884 (September 2017) DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00141.7 ISSN 0975-928X ICC6098 ICC1356 ICC5434 ICC10685 ICC5679 Ia ICC4567 ICC10448 ICC8318 ICC5003 ICC1392 ICC5378 ICC4495 ICC4954 Ib ICC2072 ICC6920 ICC2919 ICC14098 ICC1194 ICC15614 ICC8274 CLUSTER I ICC10130 Ic ICC8384 ICC15996 ICC3512 ICC1052 Co4 ICC13464 ICC13124 Id ICC4958 ICC8522 ICC4957 ICC13219 ICC8933 ICC15612 ICC6571 ICC13892 IIa ICC11088 ICC1205 ICC554 ICC4814 ICC2210 CLUSTER II Local JAKI9218 ICC14595 ICC16903 IIb ICC4872 ICC4951 ICC10653 0 1000 IIc Figure 3. Dendrogram based morphological traits in chickpea germplasm accessions http://ejplantbreeding.com 884