Seed-Protein and Other Characters in M₄ Generation of Chickpea

In M₄ generation after seed irradiation with ten Co⁶⁰ gamma ray doses ranging from 0∙5 to 5∙0 kr, the DBC-protein content of the seed showed significant increases (up to 13∙1% in the 4∙5 kr treatment) over the unirradiated mother variety.

Heritability estimates—h²—(from M₃ to M₄) for seed-protein content ranged from 48∙5% (5kr) to 64∙26% (2∙5 KR) whereas that of the unirradiated mother variety was 51∙56% showing the existance of higher genetic variance especially in the irradiated populations. This may offer a possibility for increasing the content of seed-protein through direct screening for this character if the appropriate screening method has been applied.

Significant correlation between seed-protein content—in M₄ —on one hand and flowering date (r = +0∙51 in the 1 kr treatment), mature plant height (r = 0∙66 in the 1∙5 kr), number of branches per plant (r = 0∙75 in the 1∙5 kr and r = −0∙37 in the 2∙5 kr) and number of seeds per plant r = −0∙37 (4∙5 kr), −0∙38 (0∙5 kr) and −0∙50 (2∙5 kr) which may be taken as indications for the selection of high protein. Other correlations between all of the investigated characteristics in the unirradiated mother variety as well as in other treatments were not significant. However, many significant shifts in the means of most of the characters investigated have been noticed. Coefficient of variation values in the majority of the characters were increased in some of the treated populations.