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HIGH YIELDING KABULI MUTANT CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) VARIETY "CM 2008"

TARIQ MAHMUD SHAH^*, BABAR MANZOOR ATTA, S. SARWAR ALAM, HINA ALI, MUHAMMAD AHSANUL HAQ AND MAHMUDUL HASSAN

Abstract: Air dried seeds of local variety Punjab-1 were treated with 0.2% and 0.3% solution of ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS) and planted in the field during Rabi 1996-97 to raise M₁ generation. The subsequent generations were raised alongwith parents and standard check varieties from 1996 to 2000 and selections were made on the basis of high yielding, bold seeded and wilt resistance. The wilt resistance was checked and confirmed by growing the mutants in natural wilt sick plot. During 2000-01, twelve mutants were evaluated in the yield nursery and eight high yielding mutants were selected. The potential of the mutant line CM94/99 alongwith parent (Pb-1) and check variety (CM2000) was evaluated for yield and adaptation in station and multilocational yield trials conducted from 2001-02 to 2007-2008.  CM2008 is a high yielding variety (30% higher yield than check CM2000 and 34% higher yield than Pb-1).  The major improvement in CM2008 is manifested in the form of increase in the seed size. The bold seed size (24.0 g) as compared to parent variety Pb-1 (16.5 g) was the main contributing factor towards increase in seed yield.  It is resistant to Fusarium wilt and tolerant to Ascochyta blight. Its average yield is 1800 kg/ha and yield potential is 3000 kg/ha. Punjab Seed Council approved CM94/99 variety as a commercial variety under the name of "CM2008" for general cultivation in Punjab. This resistant variety will greatly help to stabilize the chickpea production in the country.

Plant Breeding & Genetics Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan

*Corresponding author e-mail: Shahge266@gmail.com