Capturing genetic variability in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm, released varieties, and advanced breeding lines under heat stress environment in North Indian climatic condition

Temperatures beyond optimal level are detrimental to growth and production in chickpeas. Aiming at capturing genetic variability and identifying potential heat-tolerant chickpea genotype, a panel of 110 chickpea lines were evaluated in field under normal sown (non-stress) and late sown (heat-stress) environments for various phenological, yield and yield-related traits over two consecutive years under field conditions. Significant genetic variability for the phenological and yield related) was recorded under both non-stress and heat-stress conditions for both years. Seed yield/plant had strong positive correlations with number of pods/plant and harvest index under heat stress, indicating selection of plants with high pods/plant and seed yield/plant could help develop a heat-tolerant chickpea line. Based on the yield and yield-related traits, JG74, JAKI9218, Pusa 547, GNG1958, RVG202, RSG11, RSG931, RSG10, GG2, and Pusa240 genotypes were classified as promising lines under heat stress environment. The identified diverse heat-tolerant genotypes may be used as a potential source in chickpea breeding programme for enhancing heat tolerance and useful genetic variability.