Variation in some agronomic characteristics in three populations of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.)

F4 and F5 generations of three chickpea (Cicer arietinum) crosses were studied during 1989/90 and 1990/91 to ascertain inheritance pattern of characteristics, heritability in broad (HBS) and narrow sense (HNS) and genetic advance of yield components and other agronomic characters. The crosses were: Cross 1 = FLIP 85 - 2C X FLIP 84-81C; Cross 2 = FLIP 83 - 15C X FLIP 84-92C; Cross 3 = ILC 4296 X FLIP 83-72C. The characters studied were quantitatively inherited in the three crosses. Genetic studies revealed that (HBS) were found to be intermediate to high for weight of 100 seeds, low to high for biological yield, very low for number of seeds per pod and primary branches, and low to intermediate for the rest of the trials in all crosses. High HNS coupled with relatively higher expected genetic advances for grain yield, number of pods, number of seeds, and biological yield per plant in crosses 1 and 2. Similarly high (HNS) with high expected genetic advance were obtained for weight of 100 seeds and secondary branches per plant in crosses 1 and 3, and for harvest index in cross 1, confirmed additive gene action for these traits. Hence, selection through these characters may be effective in the following generations. Correlation studies revealed that the grain yield expressed highly significant positive association with number of pods 0.78 to 0.94, number of seeds 0.79 to 0.93, secondary branches 0.51 to 0.87 and biological yield 0.78 to 0.96 in all crosses at the two generations. Number of pods per plant was significantly and positively correlated with number of seeds per plant, secondary branches and biological yield in three crosses at both generations. Correlation between secondary branches, with biological yield and correlation between plant height with lowest pod height were positive and significant in all crosses at two generations