Biochemical and physiological changes influenced by drought stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

An experiment comprised of eleven different chickpea varieties and five levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) induced stress treatments for changes in physiological parameters (germination percentage, speed of germination, relative water content, drought tolerance index (DTI) and biochemical parameters (total chlorophyll, free proline content and lipid peroxidation) during in vitro germination. The physiological parameters were decreased under PEG induced drought condition particularly in susceptible variety (GJG-3). Drought stress influences biochemical parameters like free proline and lipid peroxidation. Proline content is increased and lipid peroxidation decreased in drought tolerant varieties compared to susceptible varieties under PEG induced drought. The germination of chickpea varieties was influenced under PEG stress particularly in tolerant varieties and was poorly correlated to osmolytes free proline content. However, based on the result, it can be concluded that the chickpea variety GJG-6 was found to be the most PEG induced drought tolerant and GJG-3 was found to be susceptible among eleven chickpea varieties. The DTI was found to be highly positively correlated with chlorophyll content followed by free proline as biochemical markers and lipid peroxidation was negatively correlated to DTI and free proline content.