Genetic diversity and variability for protein and micro nutrients in advance breeding lines and chickpea varieties grown in Andhra Pradesh

An investigation was taken up to study the nutritional value, extent of genetic variability and genetic diversity in advance breeding lines and chickpea varieties grown in Andhra Pradesh, India. Protein and micronutrient content (iron, zinc, copper and manganese) varied significantly among 54 genotypes. Protein content ranged from 9.5% to 24.9% while micro nutrients varied from 2.6 mg/100 g to 14.6 mg/100 g for iron, 3.5 mg/100 g to 7.7 mg/100 g for zinc, 0.5 mg/100 g to 3.2 mg/100 g for copper and 1.6 mg/100 g to 3.4 mg/100 g for manganese. Moderate to high genotypic variability for protein and micro nutrient content with high heritability and genetic advance indicated the scope for enhancement of traits through selection. Genetic diversity studies revealed five different clusters and that high protein lines are grouped in cluster I and lines with higher concentration of micro nutrients are grouped in clusters IV and V. Systematic hybridization between promising lines for protein and micronutrients chosen from these clusters is suggested to study their combining ability and subsequent use in breeding programmes intended to breed for superior chickpea cultivars.