Evaluation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm for drought resistance

Document Type : Research Article

Abstract

In order to evaluate drought tolerance of chickpea germplasm, 150 genotypes of chickpea (Kabuli type) were tested using Augmented Designs for Preliminary Yield Trials under stress (Rainfed) and non stress (Irrigated) conditions in Research Field at Mashhad College of Agriculture during 2005-6 growing season. Quantitive drought resistance and susceptibility indices such as Stress tolerance index (STI), Mean productivity (MP), Geometric mean productivity (GMP), Harmonic mean (HM), Drought response index (DRI) and Stress susceptibility index (SSI) based on yield in stress and non stress
conditions, were calculated. There were significant variations among the genotypes in their reaction to drought stress. There were positive and highly significant correlations among MP, GMP, STI and HM with yield in stress and non stress conditions. Also, there were positive and hight significant correlations for SSI and DRI with yield in non stress and stress conditions, respectively. Based on drought resistance indices and DRI, MCC544, MCC696 and MCC693 genotypes were superior to others, so they can be recommend as promising genotypes for drought resistance. These results were approved using three dimension graph and multivariate biplot graph. In stress condition, there were negative and high significant correlations between yield and days to flowering, therfore days to flowering in promising genotypes were shorter than other genotypes.

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