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Moisture stress studies in different chickpea types

J. Kumar1, N. Dhiman2, S.S. Yadav1, Jens Berger3, Neil C. Turner3,4 and Dhirendra Singh2

1 Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
2
J. V. College, Baraut, UP, India
3
Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
4
CSIR0, Plant Industry, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia jk_meher@rediffmail.com

Abstract

This study describes the effect of moisture stress on various agronomic traits in chickpea. In the present investigation, 50 genotypes representing four major classes of chickpea, viz. desi medium seeded, desi bold seeded, kabuli medium seeded and kabuli bold seeded types, were studied under rainfed and irrigated environments. The response of kabuli types to irrigation, in terms of pod number, seed and biological yield was far greater than in desi chickpeas. This study clearly revealed that moisture stress has differential effects on desi and kabuli chickpeas. Desi types appear to be better adapted to rainfed conditions, while kabulis are much more responsive to higher inputs. Mixing of the two gene pools may broaden the adaptability of both types of chickpea.

Media summary

Moisture stress has differential effects on desi and kabuli chickpeas. Desi types appear to be better adapted to rainfed conditions, while kabulis are much more responsive to higher moisture inputs.

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is grown as a winter crop in the Indian subcontinent, which accounts for nearly 85% of the area sown to the crop worldwide. It is also an important spring crop in West Asia and the Mediterranean region. The crop is generally sown on stored soil moisture and without irrigation. Moisture stress is one of the most important abiotic constraints limiting chickpea production in India. Chickpea is believed to be tolerant to drought conditions, but there is little published evidence to support this contention (Saxena, 1984). Research on plant responses to drought in this crop has been limited (Sheldrake and Saxena, 1979; Keatinge and Cooper 1984; Leopart et al., 1999). Keeping these considerations in view the present investigation was undertaken to study the influence of moisture stress on the two major types of chickpea (desi and kabuli) grown throughout the world.

Methods

In the present investigation, 50 genotypes representing four major classes of chickpea, viz. desi medium seeded, desi bold seeded, kabuli medium seeded and kabuli bold seeded types, were studied under rainfed and irrigated environments. Analysis of variance was performed on nine growth parameters at vegetative, reproductive and maturity stages under both the environments.

Results

The results of this experiment are presented in Table 1. At maturity the number of productive branches was significantly higher under irrigated compared to rainfed conditions, in both desi and kabuli chickpeas by 17 to 25%, respectively. Under irrigation there was a uniform delay of 10 to 20 days in flowering in all four groups, and 20 and 10 day delay in maturity for desi and kabuli types. The response of kabuli types to irrigation, in terms of pod number, seed and biological yield was far greater than in desi chickpeas. The number productive of pods increased from 21 to 26% in kabuli genotypes under irrigation compared to rainfed conditions. The increase in biological yield in desi-medium seeded and kabuli-bold seeded genotypes with irrigation was 42 and 49% respectively. In general, the kabuli-medium seeded type in rainfed, and both the kabuli groups under irrigated conditions, produced higher biomass compared to their desi counterpart. Seed yield was uniformly higher under irrigated conditions, but kabuli types responded more strongly (30 to 45%) than desi types (19.4 to 25.5%) to increased irrigation. 100-seed weight was more or less constant under both environments. There was a significant reduction in harvest index under irrigated conditions (16 to 31 percent) in both medium and bold-seeded desi types, but no change was observed in kabuli genotypes.

Table 1. Mean performance of quantitative traits in different types of chickpea under rainfed and irrigated conditions

   

Desi

Kabuli

Characters

Environment

Bold

Medium

Bold

Medium

LSD

Plant height (cm)

Rainfed

59.9

57.0

59.8

56.7

4.61

Irrigated

66.2

63.6

68.6

66.1

4.61

Productive branches

Rainfed

29.1

29.1

25.1

27.9

5.76

Irrigated

34.4

34.4

29.5

34.3

4.54

Days to flowering

Rainfed

92.4

93.0

92.4

89.6

2.63

Irrigated

104.1

105.3

102.4

100.9

2.35

Days to maturity

Rainfed

139.8

139.7

148.1

146.1

2.79

Irrigated

156.7

158.3

160.3

158.7

2.78

Productive pods

Rainfed

90.5

91.4

76.5

92.7

25.33

Irrigated

109.5

115.8

115.7

119.0

30.59

100-seed weight (g)

Rainfed

26.0

15.7

32.5

24.7

2.49

Irrigated

26.8

15.9

32.7

25.4

1.80

Biological yield (g/plant )

Rainfed

56.3

49.9

59.1

58.3

8.14

Irrigated

78.1

71.7

88.1

78.7

9.96

Seed yield (g/plant)

Rainfed

23.5

20.0

23.0

23.1

4.16

Irrigated

29.5

23.9

33.5

29.9

4.75

Harvest index (%)

Rainfed

41.3

40.4

39.1

39.8

4.21

Irrigated

37.8

33.7

38.0

38.1

3.50

Conclusion

This study clearly revealed that moisture stress has differential effects on desi and kabuli chickpeas. Desi types appear to be better adapted to rainfed conditions, while kabulis are much more responsive to higher inputs. Mixing of the two gene pools may broaden the adaptability of both types of chickpea.

References

Keatinge JDH and Cooper, PJM (1984). Physiological and moisture use studies on growth and development of winter sown chickpea. Pages 141-177 in Ascochyta blight and winter sowing of chickpeas. World crops: production, utilization, description Volume 9 (Saxena, MC and Singh, KB eds.) The Hague, Netherlands.

Leport L, Turner, NC, French RJ, Barr MD, Duda R, Davies SL, Tennant D, Siddique KHM (1999). Physiological responses of chickpea genotypes to terminal drought in a Mediterranean-type environment. European Journal of Agronomy 11, 279-291.

Saxena, NP (1984). The Chickpeas. pages 419-452 in Physiology of tropical field crops (Goldsworthy, PR and Fisher, NM eds.). New York , USA, Wiley.

Sheldrake AR and Saxena NP (1979).Growth and development of chickpeas under progressive moisture stress. Pages 463-483 in Stress physiology of crop plants (Mussell, H and Staples, RC eds.) New York, USA: Wiley.

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