Penetrance and expressivity of double podding characteristic in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Although most of the cultivated chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) in the word bear only one flower and one pod per the peduncle, some of the cultivated chickpeas bring about double flowers and pods. Double podding chickpeas possess yield advantages up to 18% over single podding chickpeas. However, double podding gene 's' or 'sfl' is not uniformly expressed in the next generations and flials. Penetrance and expressivity of the double podding were studied in F2 generation obtained between AC 2969 (Kabuli chickpea, ?) x ICC 4969 (Desi chickpea, ?) and ICC 4969 (?) x AC 4969 (?) crosses. Inheritance of double podding gene, stem pigmentation and flower color were explained in F1 and F2 generations. In F2 generation, the flials were compared to their parent genotypes for plant height, the first pod height, canopy width, number of main stem, pod, and seed per plant, penetrance and expressivity of double podding, biological and seed yield per plant and 100-seed weight. Relationships between the characters and seed yield per plant were studied.In F1 generation, all flials had a single pod at each peduncle, pink flower color and pigmented stem indicating that single pod, pink flower and pigmented stem were dominant over double podding, white flower and pigmentless stem, respectively. In F2 generation, the flials segregated in a ratio of 3:1 for single:double flower; pink:white flower color; and pigmented:pigmentless stem. Segregations in F2 generation clearly indicated that double podding, white flower color and pigmentless in the cultivated chickpea were governed by a single recessive gene. Expressivity and Penetrance of the double podding gene were found as 3% and 11% in flials between AC 2969 (?) x ICC 4969 (?) crosses, and 3% and 12% in flials between ICC 4969 (?) x AC 2969 (?) crosses. The transgressive segregated flials were found when the flials were compared to the best parents. The transgressive segregated flials having double pod had not only the highest seed yield but they had also produced 290% more seed yield than that of the parent ICC 4969 and 283% more seed yield that that of the parent AC 2969. Seed yield per plant was statistically, significantly and positively correlated with the number of seed and pod per plant, and biological yield.Results clearly showed that seed yield and the other morpho-agronomical characteristics in the cultivated chickpea could be improved selecting transgressive segregated flials for double podding characteristic between kabuli x desi crosses or vice versa.KEYWORDS: Chickpea, Cicer arietinum, double podding, expressivity, penetrance, inheritance