Screening of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germpalsm against ascochyta blight [Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.] correlation and combining ability analysis for various quantitative traits

The present study was conducted to estimate correlation and combining ability analysis among quantitative traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) during 2008 to 2010. Ten chickpea varieties/lines (08-AG-004, CH-70/02, CH-76/02,. Nine lines viz. AUG-27, M-98, 114, 115, 117, 781, 1049, 4025, and 5006 exhibited moderately NOOR-91, K-70005, K-70008, K-70022, CM-2008, YN-08004 and K-70009) were evaluated for the source of resistance against Ascochyta rabiei but none was found highly resistant. However, four lines (08-AG-004, CH-70/02, CH-76/02 and NOOR-91) were moderately resistant and five lines (K-70005, K-70008, K-70022, CM-2008 and YN-08004) exhibited moderately susceptible reaction. Among twenty varieties/lines were evaluated for the source of resistance but none was found highly resistant and two lines 101 and 620 were resistant. However, four lines viz. Paidar-91, Pb-2000, 818 and 870 were found to be moderately resistantsusceptible reaction and three lines 205, 1205, and 1288 exhibited susceptible reaction. The genotypes Paidar-91, 620, PB-2000, 101 and 870 were crossed in 5 × 5 diallel fashion. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for various quantitative traits like days taken to flowering, days taken to maturity, plant height, primary branches per plant, secondary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, seeds per pod, plant biomass, 100-seed weight, number of grains per plant and seed yield per plant were ascertained.   Key words: Ascochyta rabiei, Cicer arietinum , blight, chickpea, germplasm,  diallel.