Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
SN Kohakade, NS Kute, AS Totre and PL Kulwal

Abstract:
Chickpea is one of the most important legume crop in India. Biotic and abiotc stresses are the major constraints in chickpea production. Among them drought stress is one of the major limiting factor in chickpea production. In present study comprised five hundred germplasm lines of chickpea along with four checks were evaluated under moisture stress in Augmented Design at Pulses Improvement Project, MPKV, Rahuri-413 722, Dist.: Ahmednagar, India during Rabi 2021-22. The observations on Relative Water Content (%), Membrane Stability Index (%), Canopy Temperature (°C), Days to 50% flowering, Days to maturity, Number of pods per plant, 100 seed weight (g) and Harvest index (%) were recorded. The germplasm lines having the higher RWC and MSI values reflecting the higher capability to tolerate the drought stress. From the present investigation the germplasm lines ICC 181, ICC 595, ICC 1016, ICC 5929, ICC 6363, ICC 6367, ICC 6372, ICC 6395 and ICC 6788 exhibited higher values of Relative Water Content Membrane Stability Index which are drought tolerant. Therefore molecular analysis of these germplasm lines should be done to confirm drought tolerance and these line can be used in crossing programme so as to develop drought tolerant varieties as well as can be screened one more year and the lines which having common over the years can be identified and registered as a drought tolerant donar.