Evaluation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm in Jharkhand

Pulses remain stagnant inspite of production potential of 2–3 tonnes per hectare of almost all the new released cultivars. Production constraints in pulses include lack of high yielding varieties adapted to diverse growing condition, large area under rainfed cultivation (88%), biotic and abiotic stresses (up to 30% losses), poor plant stand, poor response to high input conditions and better management, moisture stress at terminal growth stage, inadequate seed replacement rate, emerging deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients, low risk bearing capacity, resource poor farmers, poor crop management, moisture stress at terminal growth stage, inadequate seed replacement rate, emerging deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients, low risk bearing capacity, resource poor farmers and poor crop management. A total of 782 germplasm were sown in an augmented complete block design with three checks (BGD 72, BG 362 and BG 1053) for yield and other quantitative traits. Consequently the germplasm accession ICC 492 (3270 kg/ha), ICC 483 (2298 kg/ha) and ICC 5681/38 (1882 kg/ha) having higher grain yield along with other yield contributing factors will be utilized in breeding programme for stability performance in Jharkhand.