Genetics of bushy growth habit and its implications in chickpea improvement

J. S. Sandhu; S. K. Gupta; Inderjit Singh; B. S. Gill; R. Bhardwaj

J. S. Sandhu Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004
S. K. Gupta Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004
Inderjit Singh Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004
B. S. Gill Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004
R. Bhardwaj Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004

Keywords: .

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plant is generally erect, semi-erect, spreading, semi-prostrate or prostrate (mainly wild annual Cicer species) in growth habit depending on the angle of branches arises from the vertical axis. Spontaneous mutations are the source of genetic variability and have resulted into dwarf erect compact type plants with high number of branches arising from base, commonly called as “bushy mutants” in chickpea [1-3]. In a study [4], it was reported that mean yield of the lines with bushy growth habit, across all environments, was higher than that of the erect habit lines. Thus, two bushy lines GL 23137 and GL 23138 were isolated from segregating population of a wide cross of chickpea for their use in chickpea improvement. These bushy lines were diverse in origin from the previously reported bushy mutants. Therefore, the present study was planned to workout the genetics of growth habit and its implication in chickpea improvement.