Performance of promising chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) genotypes in Sudan and their inheritance of resistance to wilt disease

Twelve chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes provided by ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) at two locations in the River Nile State at Hudeiba Research Station Farm and in Kassala State at New HaIfa Research Station Farm, Sudan, for two growing seasons (2007/08¬2008/09). The standard cultural practices were followed. The genotypes were evaluated for their breeding aspects that enhance chickpea genotypes productivity in Sudan such as correlations, phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variability, broad sense heritability, genetic advance, yield stability, in addition to the mode of inheritance of fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) resistance. Among enviromnent, location, year, genotypes and their interactions, genotype by enviromnent interaction (G x E) was of crossover in type. The results showed that location, season and genotypes had significant effects on most of the measured characters, seed yield in different environments ranged between 2772 kg/ha for genotype 4 (FLIP 91-71C) in the first season and 386.4 kg/ha for genotype 8 (FLIP 02-42C) in the second season at Hudeiba with an average of 1562 kg/ha. Most of the characters measured were positively correlated and significantly with seed yield especially the biomass (0.806**) and harvest index (0.643**). The phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation were higher for number of seeds per plant (55%, 26.4%) and nwnber of pods/plant (47.6%, 24.9%), respectively. The broad sense heritability (square h) was higher for days to 90 % maturity (98.3%) and days to 50 % (98.3%) and days to 50 % flowering (88.8%). Highest values of genetic advance (GA) were obtained from the biomass (215.3%) and seed yield (99.9%). The genotypes 2 (Salawa), 3 Burgeig), 6 (FLIP 97-315C), 10 (FLIP 00-70C) and 12 (FLIP 02-50C) were more stable as they had slopes ranging between 0.9 and 1.1. The released genotypes 1 (Shendi), 2 (Salawa) and 3 (Burgeig) had good adaptability and good adaptation. The present investigations showed that the eleven parents and 13 F2S plants were resistant to the wilt race isolated at Hudeiba Research Station almost 3: 1 ratio for the F2S plants indicating that the character of wilt resistance might be controlled by one dominant gene