Estimation Of Correlation and Path Analysis for Quantitative Traits Associated with Drought Tolerance in Magic Lines of Chickpea (CicerarietinumL.)

An investigation entitled Estimation of correlation and path analysis for quantitative traits in MAGIC lines of Chickpea was carried out with 40 genotypes in F4 derived F5 MAGIC lines consisting of eight parents ICC-4958, ICCV-10, JAKI-9218, JG-11, JG-130, JG-16, ICC97105, ICCV-00108, during rabi 2012-13 and 2013-14. The observations were recorded for quantitative traits namely, days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height (cm), pods per plant, primary branches, secondary branches, pod length (cm), seed yield (g), 100 seed weight (g), seeds per pod, root length (cm), root weight-fresh and dry (g), relative water content of leaf and partitioning coefficient to roots, stem, leaves and pods. The information was derived on genotypic correlation and path. The values of correlation coefficient at genotypic level were higher than those for phenotypic counterpart. Plant height, primary branches, secondary branches, pod per plant, 100 seed weight and seed yield had direct and positive effect. Root length, relative water content, partitioning coefficient to root, stem, and leaves showed positive and significant correlation which were directly associated with the drought tolerance in chickpea. The developmental characters like days to 50 % flowering and maturity contributed to grain yield indirectly via, plant height and 100 seed weight.