Evaluation of Donors for Various Qualitative and Yield Traits in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Eighty-eight chickpea genotypes were evaluated for 12 qualitative and quantitative traits during winter season of 2003–2004. Significant variations were observed with respect to days to first flower appearance, 50 per cent flowering, days to first pod set, physiological maturity, leaflets per leaf, pods per plant, 100-seed weight and seed yield per plant. Typical blue (T 39-1) to pink and white flower, erect (IPC 92–39) to prostrate growth habit (IPC 71), extra early (ICCV 96029) to late maturing, simple leaf (PDG 85-1) to multi-pinnate leaves (K 850 m), single pod to multiple pods per peduncle (IPC 99–18, JGM 1) were of high value. For characters like plant height (31.5 - 86.9 cm), seeds per pod (0.9–2.2) significant variations were not observed.