INHERITANCE OF QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS IN CHICKPEA

Abstract

In five crosses, viz., JG-31S X JG.74, JG-31S x Vishwas, JG·31S XVikas, JG.31S X JG-62 and JG"31S x ScI. 436 of chickpea (Cicerarietinum L.), scaling test with five generation means showed the involvement of epistatic gene action in the expression of fruiting branches/plant, pods/plant, 100-grain weight, yield/plant, and days to maturity, except for fruiting branches and pods/plant in the crosses JG-31S x Vishwas and JG-31S x JG-62, and for days to maturity in JG-31S x Sel. 436. In all the five crosses, dominance gene action was involved for all the characters except for 100-grain weight. In 4 out of S crosses, additive gene action was involved in the inheritance of 100-grain weight. But additive and dominance gene effects, dominance x dominance, and additive xadditive interactions were importantfor all the components. Dominance effects, followed byinteractionsand additive component played a significant role in the inheritance of grain yield. Duplicate epistasis was mare predominant.