Evaluation of Selection Criteria in Cicer Arietinum L. Using Correlation Coefficients and Path Analysis (Report‪)‬

Introduction Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important Rabi legume crops of Pakistan. Chickpea per acre production in the country is not enough to satisfy the consumer's demand. It is mainly due to the poor genetic composition of the cultivars and nonavailability of good quality seed of varieties with high yield potential and resistance against diseases and insects. Therefore, the development of improved cultivars of chickpea is the need of the day. Determination of correlation and path coefficients between yield and yield criteria is important for the selection of favourable plant types for effective chickpea breeding programmes. Correlation coefficients in general show associations among independent characteristics and the degree of linear relation between these characteristics. It is not sufficient to describe this relationship when the causal association among characteristics is needed (Toker and Cagirgan, 2004). Path analysis is used to know causes. In other words, path analysis is used to determine the amount of direct and indirect effect of the causal components on the effect component. The plus point of path analysis is that it allows the partitioning of correlation coefficient into its components (Dewey and Lu, 1959). The correlation of economic yield components with yield and partitioning of correlation coefficient into its components of direct and indirect effects have been extensively studied. Lokendra et al. (1999), Saleem et al. (1999) Saleem et al. (2002a) Bakhh et al. (2004) and Yucel et al. (2006) reported significant and positive correlation of number of pods [plant.sup.-1] and 100-seed weight with seed yield [plant.sup.-1]. Seed yield was positively correlated both phenotypically and genotypically with days to flowering, days to maturity and branches [plant.sup.-1] (Vijayalakshmi et al., 2000; Saleem et al., 2002b Yucel et al. 2006). Erman et al. (1997) reported that pod number [plant.sup.-1], harvest index, and biological yield were the major contributors to seed yield as either direct or indirect effect through other characters. Singh et al. (1997), Yousefi et al. (1997) and Saleem et al. (2002b) reported the highest positive direct effect of number of pods [plant.sup.-1] on seed yield [plant.sup.-1]. Kumar and Arora (1991), Noor et al. (2003) and Yucel et al. (2006) determined that biological yield, pods [plant.sup.-], 100 seed mass and plant height were the major yield components for selection in chickpea.