Assessment of effects of water stress on growth and seed yield of coriander

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of various magnitudes of water stress viz 25, 50 and 75 per cent deficit on growth and seed yield of coriander. Water stress conditions imposed at flower forming phase for 15 days resulted in significant reduction in plant growth characters viz shoot height, number of branches, number of umbels, number of umbellets, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot, root-shoot ratio and days to maturity. Yield characteristics viz number of seeds and seed weight showed substantial reduction in stressed as compared to unstressed plants. The maximum reduction in growth and yield attributes was registered for plants subjected to 75 per cent water deficit whereas growth and yield were not substantially affected at 25 per cent. This study indicated that water stress imposed at flowering stage reduced seed yield substantially therefore the crop must not suffer from water stress of higher magnitude during and after flowering in order to sustain yield.