Deciphering trait association, direct and indirect effects of component traits on yield through correlation and path analysis in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

AKSHATA HATTIHOLI; M. D. PATIL; C. D. SOREGAON; V. H. ASHVATHAMA

AKSHATA HATTIHOLI Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vijayapura - 586 101 University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005, India
M. D. PATIL Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture,Vijayapura - 586 101 University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005, India
C. D. SOREGAON Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vijayapura - 586 101 University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005, India
V. H. ASHVATHAMA Department of Crop Physiology, College of Agriculture, Vijayapura - 586 101 University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005, India

Keywords: Chickpea, Correlation, Path analysis, Selection index

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a food legume crop belonging to the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae). Increasing
crop yield is the primary focus of crop improvement programs, and it is a multifaceted trait that relies on various
component traits. A better insight about the association of yield with its component traits can be very helpful in improving
the yield. The experiment was carried out during rabi 2022-23 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Vijayapura to
dissect the correlation and path analysis to understand the association, direct and indirect effects between the traits. Yield
showed positive correlation with SCMR at 60 days (0.128), height of first pod (0.093), hundred seed weight (0.033), plant
height (0.023) and days to fifty per cent flowering (0.004). The direct and indirect effects of yield contributing traits among
fifty genotypes through path coefficient analysis was analysed. Experimental results indicated that majority of the traits
under consideration viz., number of pods per plant (0.8031), NDVI (0.7551), number of primary branches (0.6082), SCMR
60 (0.5948), hundred seed weight (0.4923), height of first pod (0.4299), days to maturity (0.0870) and number of seeds per
pod (0.0359) showed positive direct effect on plot yield while days to fifty per cent flowering (-0.7212), SCMR 30
(-0.7196), plant height (-0.6994) and number of secondary branches (-0.3458) exhibited negative effect. The information
derived through such analysis helps to derive the traits having positive effect (direct and indirect) and thus gives insights on
formulation of selection indices towards enhancing productivity.