Abstract
A sub-sample of lentil (Lens culinaris ‘Kimia’) seeds was kept as bulk (S1) and another sample was separated to large (S2) and small (S3) seeds. A sub-sample of each size was kept as control or high vigor seed lot (A1) and the two other sub-samples were artificially aged for 2 and 4 days (A2 and A3, respectively). Field performance of these seeds was evaluated during 2011 and 2012. Yield components and grain yield of lentil decreased with decreasing water availability. The highest yield components (except 1000 grain weight) and grain yield per unit area were obtained by plants from large seeds. The superiority of plants from large seeds in grain yield was more evident under limited irrigations than under well watering. Seed aging resulted in poor stand establishment and consequently low grain yield per unit area. Plants from aged large seeds showed the lowest reduction in grain yield per unit area, compared with those from aged small and bulk seeds. It seems that cultivation of large seeds somehow can reduce the deleterious effects of drought stress and seed aging on grain yield per unit area of lentil.
Highlights
Drought stress is known to limit plant productivity in many regions of the world
Seedling emergence percentage for nonaged seed lot (A1) was similar in both years, but for aged seed lots (A2 and A3), it was significantly lower in the second year (Fig. 2)
Because of poor stand establishment (Fig. 1), plants from aged seed lots had the opportunity to use the environmental resources more efficiently, which resulted in production of comparatively more and larger grains and grain yield per plant (Table 2)
Summary
Drought stress is known to limit plant productivity in many regions of the world. Shown that growth rates of several plants are directly proportional to the availability of water in the soil (Kamel and Loser, 1995; GhassemiGolezani et al, 2009). Water deficit is known to alter a variety of biochemical and physiological processes ranging from photosynthesis to protein synthesis and solute accumulation (Hu and Schmidhalter, 1998). Water stress may range from moderate and of short duration to extremely severe and prolonged summer drought that has strongly influenced evolution and plant life (Pereira and Chaves, 1995). The physiological responses of plants to water stress and their relative importance for crop productivity vary with species, soil type, nutrients and climate
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