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Effects of
water deficit stress on field performance of chickpea
cultivars
Nahid Niari Khamssi1*,
Kazem Ghassemi Golezani2, Saeed Zehtab Salmasi2
and Abdollah Najaphy3
1Department of Agronomy and
Plant Breeding, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad
University, Kermanshah Branch, 6715685415, Iran.
2Department of Agronomy and
Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Tabriz University,
Tabriz, Iran.
3Department of Agronomy and
Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University,
Kermanshah, Iran.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
khamssi@gmail.com.
Tel: 98 831 832 4215.
Fax: 98 831 832 3731.
Accepted 12 May, 2010 |
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Water
deficit is one of the important factors limiting crop
production in arid and semi-arid regions. This research was
conducted in 2007 and 2008 to investigate field performance
of three chickpea cultivars (Hashem and Arman from kabuli
and Pirooz from desi type) under well watering (I1:
70 mm evaporation from class A pan), gradual water deficit
(I2 and I3: 70…90…110…130 and
70…100…130 mm evaporation, respectively) and severe water
stress (I4: 130 mm evaporation). Results showed
that with increasing irrigation intervals, leaf proline
content increased, while LAI and grain yield were decreased.
These reductions were only significant under severe water
deficit (I4) as compared with well watering (I1).
No significant differences in chlorophyll content and
quantum yield (Fv/Fm) were recorded
among irrigation treatments. LAI, chlorophyll content and
grain yield of kabuli type cultivars were more than those of
desi type cultivars. It was concluded that gradually
increasing irrigation intervals can prevent significant
reductions in LAI and grain yield, due to drought hardening
of chickpea plants.
Key
words:
Chickpea, gradual water deficit, grain yield, LAI, proline,
quantum yield.
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