Improving the harvest index in early generation selection in F3 population in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

This investigation was undertaken to study the genetics of seed related attributes in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in F₃ progenies of eighteen different crosses were sown with 8 rows per cross were hand sown with 4.0-meter row length and spacing of 50 cm x 20 cm during Rabi 2020-2021 at Pulses Research Farm, CCSHSU, Hisar, Haryana. Observations were recorded at physiology maturity on five randomly selected plants from each 18 F₃ progenies for high numbers of pods/plant, seed index, seed yield per plant (g per plant), Total biomass yield per plant and harvest index. The F₃ cross combination namely (H 12-55 x CSJ 8962) x CSJ 8962 and H 12-55 x GNG 1958 recorded the highest harvest index i.e., 62.0 % followed by H 13-09 x reticulatum 237) x H 13-09 GNG 1581 (60.0 %). From two years data studied in early generation selection may be considered useful because it recorded high seed yield in cross (H12-55 x CSG 8962) x CSG 8962 i.e., 4125 kg/ha and 1799 kg/ha in F_2, F₃ progenies during 2019 and 2020 respectively. F₃ progenies were selected for high pod number, seed yield /plant and high harvest index. Selection response through harvest index effective for improvement of seed yield ranged from 36 % to 62.0 % in all the 18 F₃ populations. Improvement in yield via route through selection was obtained when the response was measured through the harvest index. Selection of harvest index in early generation for improvement of yield was effective when the response was measured in different years in F₂, F₃ progenies because high yielding genotypes may be lost by delay selection. Early generation selecting for high pod number, early maturity, more seed yield and high harvest index were important trait for the genetic improvement of seed yield.