Genetic diversity studies among chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes under rainfed and irrigated conditions for yield attributing and traits related to mechanical harvesting 

Genetic diversity among 30 chickpea genotypes was assessed for yield attributing and traits related to mechanical harvesting during rabi 2016-17 under both rainfed and irrigated conditions as separate experiments. The genotypes were grown in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Genetic diversity study grouped 30 chickpea genotypes into five different clusters under both the tested environments. Days to 50 per cent flowering followed by days to maturity and 100 seed weight contributed maximum towards diversity under rainfed as well as irrigated conditions. Inter cluster average D2 values stretched between 7.42 and 20.11 under rain fed condition, while it was slightly higher and varied from 8.64 to 28 under irrigated condition. The most divergent clusters were IV and V under both the situations. The traits that are suitable for mechanical harvesting particularly, height of the first pod and plant height contributed more (8.3 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively) towards the genetic divergence  under irrigated than under rainfed condition (3 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively). While the angle of the primary branch couldn’t show any influence on the divergence under both the tested environments. Promising genotypes with suitable traits for mechanical harvesting besides having yield advantage are‘NBeG 780’, ‘NBeG 857’, ‘NBeG 47’, ‘NBeG 863’ and ‘BG 3061’ of cluster I under rainfed and cluster II under irrigated, ‘GBM 2’ of cluster II in rainfed and cluster I in irrigated, ‘ICCL 85213’ and ‘NBeG 865’ of cluster III under rainfed, ‘DBGV 3104’ of cluster I under rainfed and ‘GL 12021’ of cluster V under both rainfed and irrigated are suggested  for utilization in the crossing programs to breed varieties of chickpea for high yield with amenability to combine harvesting.