Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Heritability of Agro-morphological Traits in Chickpea Promising Lines under Normal Moisture Conditions

High diversity and selection are base of each breeding program. The objectives of this research were assessing genetic diversity and clustering chickpea lines, estimating heritability and identification of the related traits to grain yield. The experiment carried out based on RCBD with three replications during 2012-13 growing season. The genotypes showed significant difference (p<0.05) for all traits and they distributed in four areas of bi-plot. The above results indicate that the lines had high genetic diversity. The broad sense heritability of traits varied from 60.17, for plant height, to 94.80, for 100-kernel weight. Three first main components recognized as "yield and yield component”, “plant growth or vigor component “and "water retain component” respectively and explained 73.3 percent of total data variance. The four main factors were respectively named as "yield and yield components factor", "increasing generative period factor”, "water retain factor” and "increasing growing period factor”. Above-mentioned factors explained 80.90 percent of total data variance. Cluster analysis grouped the lines in four clusters and discrimination function analysis confirmed the cluster analysis results. The lines of first and third clusters, had minimum and maximum yield and yield components respectively. Therefore, crossing between first and there clusters can be useful for creating new divers genotypes.