Unveiling Genetic Threads: Phenotypic Exploration of Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.) Germplasms for Heritability and Trait Associations

Abstract

The second most important self-pollinating legume crop in the world is the chickpea. Chickpea is an inexpensive source of protein that grows well in various climates. The current study aimed to evaluate the genetic advance and heritability of different characters at the seedling stage by analyzing their phenotypic attributes. During the 2022–2023 growing season, a randomized complete block design experiment was set up in the University of the Punjab's field area. The experiment included five different germplasms. At the seedling stage, data from seven morphological parameters were collected. ANOVA and correlation were performed using Statistix software. Seedling length, root length, and root-shoot ratio have shown low genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV), indicating a high environmental effect on these traits. Root length and leaf width had shown a strong correlation with seedling length. Path coefficient analysis directly affected root length and leaf width towards seedling length. Low genetic advance and high heritability were observed in root length, seedling length and root-shoot ratio, meaning selection should be delayed for one or more generations for such traits. Leaf width and leaf area have shown high heritability and genetic advance, suggesting that selecting such characters may lead to superior variety development based on phenotype.