Effect of terminal drought stress on grain yield and yield components in Kabuli chickpea genotypes

To assess the effects of terminal drought stress on phenological traits, grain yield, yield components, and to determine phenotypic variation and relationship between grain yield with other traits in 64 Kabuli genotypes an experiment was carried out using simple lattice design (8×8) under two conditions (terminal drought stress and normal) in 2011 at Research Field of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Results showed that there were significant differences among chickpea genotypes which revealed genetic variation for different traits. According to the results of phenotypic correlations, stepwise regression, path analysis for both normal and stress conditions, it can be concluded that, expected that biological yield and harvest index, seed and pod weight, number of filled pods, number of seed.plant-1, 100 seed weight and number of seed.pod 1 were the most important and effective traits affecting yield. Therefore selecting and breeding for these traits could be considered for improving grain yield in Kabuli chickpea. Based on factor analysis using data in both conditions four factors were selected that explained 78.96% and 81.6% of total variation under normal and drought stress conditions. The first and second factors were introduced as yield and yield component factors. Genotype grouping in both conditions was conducted using UPGMA method and the square Euclidean distance. Genotypes were grouped in three clusters in both conditions.