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Genetic variability among thirty chickpea genotypes with three replications utilising 19 yield, drought tolerance and mechanical harvestable traits was studied under rainfed and irrigated conditions at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, India. The analysis of variance carried out for 19 yield, yield attributing and drought tolerant traits revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all characters under rainfed as well as irrigated conditions. Variability study revealed high heritability accompanied with high to moderate genetic advance for drought tolerant traits like SLA, SCMR and proline. Traits related to mechanical harvesting viz., height of the first pod and plant height exhibited moderate variability, high heritability and high genetic advance both under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Seed yield, harvest index, 100 seed weight and days to 50 per cent flowering exhibited moderate to high genetic variability, high heritability coupled with high genetic gain under rainfed and irrigated conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the pulses, bengal gram (Chickpea) has been considered for the present study in the scenario of uncertain monsoon behaviour where it is an excellent crop benefiting the farmers since its ability to withstand drought condition with lesser rainfall. The present study was under taken intentionally to assess the trends in area, production, productivity and Efficient cropping zones (ECZ) of the emerging pulse crop (Bengal gram) of Tamil Nadu, to identify and analyse the factors influencing the area, production and productivity of bengal gram as well as to key note the available niches over the state (Tamil Nadu). The zones were identified for latest 10 year average (2005-2014). The trend analysis was carried out for 1950-2014, 1950-1979 and 1980-2009 and at decadal scale for state level. The results showed that the trend in area, production and productivity were increasing with the new technologies that could further extend the crop over the efficient cropping zones. The compound growth rate of 2.44 per cent per annum over Tamil Nadu during the time period of 1950-2014 could be achieved as a whole. Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu during the latest ten years, 2005 to 2014 were found to be the efficient cropping zones for bengal gram from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]