Principal Component Analysis in Desi Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Normal Sown Condition of Bihar

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most important food legume crop after common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). It is one of the most important rabi pulse crop in India and contributes to 20% of the total pulse production in the world. India ranks first in chickpea production in the world followed by Australia, Myanmar and Pakistan. It is one of the major pulse crops in Bihar. The present investigation was undertaken using forty genotypes of desi chickpea sown in a randomized block design with three replications at the Pulse research model Bhitti farm of Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour (Bhagalpur) during Rabi, 2016-17 to determine the contribution of six morphological traits to the total variability in desi chickpea using Principal component analysis. In the present investigation PCA was performed for six quantitative traits of chickpea. Out of six, only 2PCs exhibited more than 1.0 Eigen value and showed about 79.86% variability. Therefore, these 2 PCs were given due important for the further explanation. The PC1 showed 28.96% variability among traits, while PC II, PC III and PC IV exhibited 21.93%, 16.35% and 13.87% variability respectively.PC1 contributed 28.96% of the total variation and correlated with days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and 100-seed weight while PC2 explained an additional 21.93% of the total variation and dominated by plant height, grain yield per plot, days to maturity, days to 50% flowering and number of pods per plant. Since, a total of 50.91% of the total variation was contributed by PC1 and PC2, therefore, these two principal components can be allowed for simultaneous selection of yield contributing traits in desi chickpea. Genotype commonly found in more PC, were KWR108, JG2016-44, Sabour chana-1, IPC 2013-21, HI12-63, AKG1303, PG214J and RKG13-380. Similar type of genotypes on a common principal component permitting to designate them as seed yield factors. These genotypes may further be utilized in breeding programmes for improving seed yield and these genotypes can be considered an ideotype breeding material for selection of traits viz. more total number of seed per plant and 100-seed weight further utilization in precise breeding programme.