Abstract
HIGH YIELDING DESI CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) VARIETY
"NIFA-2005"
Pak. J. Bot., 39(1):
93-102, 2007.
G. S. S. KHATTAK, M. ASHRAF*, ROSHAN ZAMIR AND I. SAEED
Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, NWFP.
The seeds of a local chickpea variety Pb-91 were irradiated at 0.30
KGy doses of gamma rays using 60Co gamma cell and raised
M1 generation at Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture
(NIFA) during 1994-95. M2 to M6generations were
raised along with parents and standard varieties from 1996 to 2000 and
made selections on the basis of more pods and branches per plant, large
seed size and good plant type. Performance of the line CMN-257 along
with standard varieties was evaluated in various replicated yield trials
and screened for diseases from 2000-2004. The proposal of the mutant
CMN-257 was submitted for approval as commercial variety for NWFP to
the Provincial Seed Council meeting held on 19th September
2005 at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar. The Provincial Seed
Council approved the mutant CMN-257 as a commercial variety under the
name "NIFA-2005" for general cultivation in NWFP.
The major improvements in CMN-257 are manifested in the form of increase
in seed size and erect plant type with stiff stem as compared to standards
NIFA-88 and NIFA-95. The large seed size of CMN-257 is the main contributing
factor towards increase in seed yield compared to NIFA-88 and NIFA-95.
Erect plant type and stiff stem of CMN-257 helps in showing resistance
to lodging, which reduces seed yield losses. Pods per plant, branches
per plant, seeds per pod and protein contents of CMN-257 compare favorably
with standards NIFA-88 and NIFA-95. CMN-257 has 16 % and 48 % high seed
yield potential compared to the standard varieties NIFA-88 and NIFA-95.
Its experimental seed yield was 1994 kg ha-1. CMN-257 also
showed tolerance to wilt/root rot and chickpea blight.
* Department of Botany, Univesity of Faisalabad,,Faisalabad Email:
gssktt@yahoo.com
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