Chickpea Plants Research Articles

Multifarious Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Enterobacter sp. CM94-Mediated Systemic Tolerance and Growth Promotion of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Salinity Stress.

Chickpea is one of the most important leguminous crops and its productivity is significantly affected by salinity stress. The use of ecofriendly, salt-tolerant, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a bioinoculant can be very effective in mitigating salinity stress in crop plants. In the present study, we explored, characterized, and evaluated a potential PGPR isolate for improving chickpea growth under salt stress. A potential PGPR was isolated from rhizospheric soils of chickpea plants grown in the salt-affected area of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. The isolate was screened for salt tolerance and characterized for its metabolic potential and different plant growth-promoting attributes. Further, the potential of the isolate to promote chickpea growth under different salt concentrations was determined by a greenhouse experiment. A rhizobacteria isolate, CM94, which could tolerate a NaCl concentration of up to 8% was selected for this study. Based on the BIOLOG carbon source utilization, isolate CM94 was metabolically versatile and able to produce multiple plant growth-promoting attributes, such as indole acetic acid, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, siderophore, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and ammonia as well as solubilized phosphate. A polyphasic approach involving the analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed the identity of the isolate as Enterobacter sp. The results of greenhouse experiments revealed that isolate CM94 inoculation significantly enhanced the shoot length, root length, and fresh and dry weight of chickpea plants, under variable salinity stress. In addition, inoculation improved the chlorophyll, proline, sugar, and protein content in the tissues of the plant, while lowering lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, isolate CM94 reduced oxidative stress by enhancing the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase compared to in the respective uninoculated plants. Overall, the results suggested that using Enterobacter sp. CM94 could significantly mitigate salinity stress and enhance chickpea growth under saline conditions. Such studies will be helpful in identifying efficient microorganisms to alleviate salinity stress, which in turn will help, to devise ecofriendly microbial technologies.

Unveiling the Potential of OsRuvB DNA Helicases in Enhancing Salinity Stress Tolerance in Chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a self-pollinated true diploid (2n=2x=16) cool season leguminous crop that ranks second among food grain legumes after soybean. It grows under a wide range of climatic conditions and is highly sensitive to salt stress. In the present study, transgenic chickpea plants (var. HC-1) carrying OsRuvB gene were screened for salt stress. Putative transformants were screened at an early stage through PCR amplification using gene specific primers and a transformation frequency of 36.2% was observed. Physio-biochemical analysis of selected T2 transgenic plants subjected to 100 mM salt stress showed that transgenic plants were able to maintain higher chlorophyll content, relative water content, cell viability, proline content, Na+/K+ content, catalase and peroxidase activity compared to the wild type plants. Whereas electrolytic leakage and lipid peroxidation were relatively less as compared to the wild type plants under 100 mM stress. Among all transgenic lines, line 8 performed well with respect to all the parameters studied and can be taken further for the development of transgenic chickpea plants for salt stress tolerance.

Combination effect of different levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium on the yield of Chickpea Plant (Cicera rietinum L.)

This experiment was conducted at Grdarasha field of the College of Agricultural Engineering Science, Salahaddin University in Erbil, with a Clay Loam texture class. During the spring growing season of 2020, to study the effect of four levels of phosphorus TSP (0, 20, 40, 60) Kg P. ha-1. Three levels of K (0, 15, 30) Kg K. ha-1 and three levels of N (0, 15, 30) Kg N. ha-1. Besides, there was a combination of yield components and nutrient balance of the chickpea plant using a splitblock design with three factors (K, N and P), where 36 treatment with 3 replicates was used. The main results could be summarized as follows: The combination of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels affected the yield of the chickpea plant significantly. Also, the maximum yield recorded in the treatment combination (K2N1P2) was (1.55 Mg ha-1). In comparison, the lowest mean value (0.73 Mg ha-1) was recorded from the treatment combination (K0N0P0). Keywords: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, chemical and physical properties, chickpea yield

Exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles improves the physiological characteristics of drought‐challenged chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.)

AbstractDrought stress markedly affects plant growth and crop production. In turn, treatment with some metal‐based nanoparticles (NPs) such as TiO2‐NPs could improve the plant tolerance against drought stress. In the present study, the effects of different levels of moisture regime (40%, 60%, and 90% field capacity [FC]) in conjunction with various concentrations of TiO2‐NPs (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg. L−1) on chickpea were studied. Exposure of drought‐challenged chickpea plants to TiO2‐NPs raised antioxidant enzyme activity compared with plants grown under drought without TiO2‐NP treatment. The highest activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was observed at 40% FC and application of 40 mg. L−1 TiO2‐NPs. Moreover, peroxidase (POX) activity has increased with the enhancing concentration of TiO2‐NPs to 20 mg. L−1 at 90% FC. In comparison, the application of 40 mg. L−1 TiO2‐NPs and decreasing levels of FC caused a rise in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Exposure to TiO2‐NPs raised the amount of total phenols and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate (DPPH) at different levels of moisture regime. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) at 60% FC has decreased by 22% after treatment with 20 mg. L−1 TiO2‐NPs compared with control plants. Also, treatment with TiO2‐NPs heightened the proline content, and the highest amount of proline was obtained at 40% FC by applying 20 mg. L−1 NPs. The treatment with TiO2‐NPs in the moisture regimes led to higher chlorophyll and carotenoid production in chickpea plants. Taken together, the application of TiO2‐NPs could raise the defense potential of chickpea plants against oxidative stress caused by the generation of reactive oxygen species.

Investigating the growth characteristics, oxidative stress, and metal absorption of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under cadmium stress and in silico features of HMAs proteins

Heavy metal contamination can have a strong effect on the morphological and physiological characteristics of plants. In the present study, Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) was exposed to different concentrations of cadmium (control, 2, 4, 8 μg Cd g-1 perlite) and the effect on plant growth and antioxidant enzymes were evaluated. The observed morphological changes in chickpea plant included stunted growth, reduced root system development and plant color change. A significant increase in enzyme activity of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase was observed at 4 μg Cd g-1 perlite, with a subsequent decrease when concentration was increased to 8 μg Cd g-1 perlite in the leaves of the plants. The highest cadmium levels were determined at a concentration of 8 μg Cd g-1 perlite. With the addition of 2 μg Cd g-1 perlite, manganese uptake in the aboveground part of the plant increased significantly, but then decrease at higher cadmium concentrations. In addition, zinc and copper levels decrease in the presence of cadmium. These results indicate that chickpea has a relatively high adsorption capacity for cadmium in aboveground tissues and special precautions should be taken when growing chickpea. In silico analysis led to the identification of 13 heavy metal ATPases (HMAs) in chickpea. These proteins contain 130 to 1032 amino acids with 3 to 18 exons. They are involved in the transfer of cadmium and zinc and help in heavy metal detoxification of plants. Bioinformatics studies have been conducted to better understand the mechanism by which the plant is able to combat heavy metal stress.

Assessment of the Responses of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to the Exogenous Application of Gibberellic Acid and Indole Butyric Acid at Different Crop Development Stages

Background: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops in the world. In Tunisia, the chickpea is vulnerable to fluctuation in production in the last few decades. However, phytohormones are known to play crucial roles in regulating different development processes in plants. Methods: This research was conducted in Petri dish and pot experiments in order to determine the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole butyric acid (IBA) phytohormones on some growth parameters of chickpea. In this study, GA3 at concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 g/l and IBA at concentrations of 0, 10-5, 10-4, 10-3 and 10-2 g/l were applied at different stages of chickpea development. Result: Results of Petri dishes trial revealed that IBA (10-4g/l) and GA3 (0.2 g/l) hormones improved significantly the shoot and root length of chickpea plant. Results of pots pointed out that the chickpea achieves the highest plant height when IBA (10-4 or 10-3 g/l) and GA3 (0.2 g/l) were used at pre-flowering stage. The IBA and GA3 application with concentrations of 10-3 g/l and 0.1 g/l, respectively allowed the highest nodule number at post-flowering stage. The parameters number of branches, fresh and dry weight of the aerial part and leaves number were improved in chickpea plants treated with IBA and GA3 at pre-flowering and post-flowering, respectively. Similarly, the number of flowers was promoted by the two hormones. The weight and the number of seeds were significantly enhanced by all IBA treatments in plants. An increase in weight and the number of seeds was observed at post-flowering phase of GA3 treatment. Thus, these results identified the beneficial effect of tested phytohormones in chickpea growth.

Comparative pathogenesis of Fusarium spp. obtained from diseased chickpea plants in Morocco

The pathogenicity of two isolates (FS1 and FS2) of the Fusarium solani isolated from diseased chickpea plants harvested from two different regions from Morocco, which were identified morphologically and molecular, was evaluated as the severity, incidence and index of the disease. The results show that the two isolates tested were able to induce symptoms in both parts of the plant (root and aerial), of the seven chickpea varieties (‘Garbanzo’, ‘Farihane’, ‘Moubarak’, ‘Douyet’, ‘Rizki’, ‘Arifi’ and ‘Zahour’), which were associated with a reduction in all measured agronomic parameters. However, the intensity of the symptoms depends on the combination of the variety and the isolate of Fusarium. It appears that the FS2 isolate affected the ‘Moubarak’ variety much more, while the pathogenicity of the FS2 isolate was more pronounced on the ‘Rizki’ variety. The increase in the leaf damage index as a function of time is due to the evolution of leaf yellowing through several physiological stages (necrosis, stunting, wilting, leaf fall), before causing plant death. At the end of the experiment, the re-isolation of the two Fusarium isolates from the four vegetative parts of all inoculated varieties was positive.

<i>Fusarium equiseti</i> as one of the main <i>Fusarium</i><i></i> species causing wilt and root rot of chickpeas in Morocco

Fungal isolates of <i>Fusarium</i> were collected from symptomatic chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) plants growing in fields within the Souk Tlat commune in the Gharb region. Morphological and molecular characterizations were performed of the fungal isolate N3 obtained from a chickpea plant. PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer using the primers ITS1 and ITS4 were applied to identify the fungal isolate N3. The maximum similarity index of the fungus was found to be 99.33% with <i>Fusarium equiseti</i> (accession no. MT111122). In the pathogenicity test, both chickpea seed dip inoculation and soil infestation by the spore suspension of <i>Fusarium</i> isolate were adopted. Four weeks after chickpea seed inoculation, few plants emerged, and those that emerged were stunted. A high percentage of inoculated seeds did not emerge and showed accentuated rot symptoms. Eight weeks after sowing seeds in infested soil, the obtained chickpea seedlings displayed root necrosis, browning at the crown, and wilting. In addition, these plants showed a foliar alteration index of 0.395. The re-isolation was positive for different parts of chickpea plants for both seed and soil inoculation. <i>Fusarium equiseti</i> isolate decreased the length of the root and aerial parts, and the number of leaves and branches of the inoculated chickpea plants either by seed inoculation or soil infestation with values of 0.91 cm and 19.73 cm, 1.29 cm, and 19.44 cm, 1.11 and 18.66, and 0.0 and 2.08 respectively, whereas the corresponding values for the control plants were 27.16 and 28.33 cm, 29.05 and 31.05 cm, 24.21 and 25.66, and 3.50 and 3.11, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of <i>F. equiseti</i> on chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) in Morocco.

Drought priming modulates ABF, GRFs, related microRNAs and induce metabolic adjustment during heat stress in chickpea

Drought and high temperature stress may occur concomitantly or individually in succession causing cellular dysfunctions. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key stress regulator, and its responsive genes are controlled by ABRE (Abscisic acid Responsive Element)-binding factors (ABFs)and G-Box Regulatory factors (GRFs). Here, we identify ABFs, GRFs and targeting miRNAs in desi and kabuli chickpea. To validate their role after drought priming and subsequent high temperature stress, two contrasting chickpea varieties (PBG1 and PBG5) were primed and exposed to 32 °C, 35 °C and 38 °C for 12, 6 and 2 h respectively and analyzed for Physio-biochemical, expression of ABFs, GRFs and MiRNAs, and GC-MS based metabolite analysis. To ascertain the ABF-GRF protein-protein interactions, docking studies were carried out between the ABF3 and GRF14. Genome-wide analysis identified total 9 & 11 ABFs, and 11 GRFsin desi and kabuli respectively. Their gene structure, and motif composition were conserved in all subfamilies and only 10 and 12 genes have undergone duplication in both desi and kabuli chickpea respectively. These genes were differentially expressed in-silico. MiR172 and miR396 were identified to target ABFs and GRFs respectively. Protein-protein interaction (ABF3 and GRF14) might be successful only when the ABF3 was phosphorylated. Drought priming downregulated miR172 and miR396 and eventually upregulated targeting ABFs, and GRFs. Metabolite profiling (GC-MS) revealed the accumulation of 87 metabolites in Primed (P) and Non-Primed (NP) Chickpea plants. Tolerant cultivar (PBG5) responded better in all respects however both severity of stress and exposure are important factors and can produce broadly similar cellular response.

Identifying F. oxysporum Strains Causing Wilt in Southern Indian Chickpeas

Fusarium oxysporum (Schletend: Fr) f. sp. ciceri (Padwick), referred to as Foc, is a soil-borne fungus that poses a constant threat to chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) by causing wilt disease. Typical wilt symptoms were observed in chickpea plants collected from 24 different locations across three southern Indian states. The process involved isolating Fusarium species from the roots of these wilted plants, resulting in the identification of various strains exhibiting diverse cultural and morphological characteristics on potato dextrose agar medium. All twenty four isolates were subjected to Koch's postulates using the standard method, which yielded varied responses in terms of disease incidence. After analyzing cultural, morphological, molecular traits, and conducting pathogenicity tests, the fungus was definitively identified as F. oxysporum Schlechtend. Fr. f. sp. ciceri (Padwick) Matuo and K. Sato. Among the 24 isolates tested on the chickpea wilt susceptible cultivar JG-62, one was non-pathogenic with zero percent disease incidence (PDI), while one isolate was highly pathogenic showed 100 percent PDI. Highly pathogenic four isolate was further used for molecular identification with secreted in xylem primers (SIX). Comparative studies of cultural traits and conidial morphology among different isolates revealed variations in growth patterns, pigmentation, sporulation, and the size and structure of macro and micro conidia, as well as chlamydospores.

Isolation, selection, and identification of phytopathogenic fungi with bioherbicide potential for the control of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.)

AbstractField bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) has been described as one of the most noxious weeds in agricultural soils worldwide. Furthermore, its control by conventional herbicides can promote the emergence of resistant biotypes as well as negatively affect human health and the environment. An ecological alternative for weed management is the use of phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, 68 fungal strains were isolated from C. arvensis leaves exhibiting symptoms of fungal disease. Seven isolates were confirmed as pathogenic to C. arvensis in a detached leaf assay. Filtered cell‐free cultures (FCFC) of these seven isolates were then evaluated. FCFC of TV1 and ET4 showed the best results, inhibiting seedling dry weight by up to 48% in vivo and shoot dry weight up to 35% in growth chamber assays. Phytopathogenic evaluation of both isolates showed disease severity >67%, and an ability to inhibit root dry weight by up to 80%. Inhibitory effects were not observed on chickpea, bean, sorghum, maize, or tomato plants, suggesting pathogenic specificity of TV1 and ET4 to field bindweed. Molecular identification revealed a high similarity of TV1 (100% identity) with Macrophomina phaseolina, and a high similarity of ET4 with Alternaria alternata (99.8% identity). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. phaseolina showing pathogenicity against field bindweed worldwide, and the first report for A. alternata in Mexico. The results reveal that these fungi and/or their FCFC have the potential to be used as bioherbicidal agents against C. arvensis.

Amelioration of Abiotic Stress and Climate Change Resilience in Chickpea

Chickpea, an important legume crop high in protein mostly grown under rainfed circumstances in arid and semi-arid climates, where it is extremely subject to abiotic stresses like drought, terminal stress, temperature, water logging at different growth stages throughout the season linked to severe yield losses, particularly when the crop is subjected to unfavorable conditions during the reproductive period, leading to instability in chickpea production around the world. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the strategies employed for ameliorating abiotic stress and enhancing climate change resilience in chickpea. It examines the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of chickpea plants to abiotic stress and explores the underlying mechanisms involved in stress tolerance. The review highlights the importance of understanding the genetic basis of stress tolerance traits and emphasizes the potential for genetic improvement through breeding and genetic engineering approaches. It examines the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of chickpea plants to abiotic stress and explores the underlying mechanisms involved in stress tolerance. It discusses the identification of stress-responsive genes, proteins, and metabolites, which can serve as potential targets for crop improvement and the development of stress-tolerant chickpea varieties. In conclusion, this comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the amelioration of abiotic stress and climate change resilience in chickpea. It synthesizes current knowledge, identifies research gaps, and offers practical recommendations for sustainable chickpea production under challenging environmental conditions.

Impact of metribuzin dose and water stress on chickpea plant health

Chickpea is an important rotational pulse crop for Saskatchewan field crops. Since 2019, Saskatchewan chickpea production has suffered from a plant health issue following rainfall events around flowering to early podding resulting in apical wilting and eventual branch death. Post-emergence broadleaf weed management in chickpea relies on metribuzin, which can result in variable injury in chickpea. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of metribuzin dose and water stress on chickpea health in the greenhouse. At two weeks after treatment (WAT), chickpea mortality reached 25% for 206 g ai ha−1 (label rate) metribuzin dose and 56% for 413 g ha−1 dose, respectively. Maximum chickpea vegetative chlorosis and necrosis was 81% for the 413 g ha−1 metribuzin treatment and 65% for the 206 g ha−1 treatment. Chickpea longest branch length was reduced from 34 to 26 cm at 8 WAT with the 206 g ha−1 metribuzin treatment. Three weeks of permitting the soil to reach the wilting point and induce symptoms reduced chickpea longest branch length from 38 to 24 cm by 8 WAT. Chickpea pod production was reduced by 75% with the 206 g ha−1 metribuzin treatment and 90% with the water stress regime. Metribuzin at labeled dosing in Saskatchewan induced plant death and considerable vegetative necrosis when evaluated in the greenhouse.

Allelopathic effect of Callistemon viminalis’s leaves extract on weeds, soil features, and growth performance of wheat and chickpea plants

ABSTRACT The allelopathic effect of Callistemon viminalis’s leaf extracts on seed germination and growth of Triticum aestivum and Cicer arietinum, as well as associated weeds (Anagallis arvensis, Poa annua, Lepidium didymium, and Vicia sativa), was studied. Different concentrations (2–10%) of aqueous extracts were used, and physiological parameters were measured. Higher concentrations (6–10%) significantly inhibited the germination and growth of wheat and chickpea. In pot assay, the extract did not affect shoot length, dry plant mass, chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline, protein content, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic and transpiration rate, and antioxidant enzymes in crop and various parameters of soil properties in comparison to the control. Both crops grew significantly at lower concentrations. This study suggests that extract of C. viminalis can inhibit the growth of A. arvensis and V. sativa without affecting germination, photosynthetic and biochemical properties of C. arietinum and T. aestivum, and soil properties, making it a potential candidate for bioherbicide development.

Biotic stress alleviating strategies in chickpea

The third-most important food legume in terms of economic importance worldwide is the chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Its potential production is frequently constrained by numerous biotic stressors, such as the nematodes, insects Ascochyta blight, fusarsium wilt, and botrytis grey mould are the three major fungal diseases that cause significant economic losses, while Helicoverpa armigera, Aphis craccivora, cowpea weevil are the three major pre-harvest pest of chickpea. Several biological, chemical, cultural and, agronomical practices are used to control biotic stress, apart from that few modern biotechnological approaches also developed for high yielding and biotic stress resistant varieties. This paper aims to elaborate about different biotic stresses that affect Chickpea plant, their management strategies including traditional chemicals and adaptation of transgenic varieties with their limitations and also enlightened newer ray of hope i.e., plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that holds the ability to combat against biotic stress by mitigating stress ethylene level.

Indigenous bacterial endophytic PGPMs of chickpea: Characterization and hidden antagonistic potential against <i>Rhizoctonia bataticola</i> causing dry root rot of chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is grown in more than 50 countries. India is the largest chickpea-producing country accounting for 64% of the global chickpea production. However, the production is contrained by the dry root rot disease caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola. Considering this problem, the investigation was carried out to isolate, characterize and the antagonistic potential of indigenous endophytic PGPMs for one of the components in the integrated management of dry root rot of chickpeas in eco-friendly manner. Hence, the isolation of thirty endophytic PGPMs was carried from chickpea by using the spread plate technique. The cultural characters and Gram’s staining reaction confirmed that the endophytic PGPMs isolated from chickpea plant tissues were bacteria. Among thirty bacterial strains, eight showed more than 50% of mycelial inhibition of the pathogen. Out of eight strains, five highly superior strains were selected and subjected for 16S rDNA gene sequencing using the universal primers (16Sr DNA F and 16Sr DNA R), which produced amplified products of size 1500 bp. nBLAST results of 16S rDNA gene sequence revealed that all the endophytic bacterial PGPMs showed homology with genus Bacillus but with different species. The five potential strains namely, BEPGPM-5, BEPGPM-9, BEPGPM-27, BEPGPM-28, and BEPGPM-30 were identified and confirmed as B. tropicus, B. pacificus, B. cereus, B. subtilis, respectively, based on molecular technique.

Engaging Precision Phenotyping to Scrutinize Vegetative Drought Tolerance and Recovery in Chickpea Plant Genetic Resources.

Precise and high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) of vegetative drought tolerance in chickpea plant genetic resources (PGR) would enable improved screening for genotypes with low relative loss of biomass formation and reliable physiological performance. It could also provide a basis to further decipher the quantitative trait drought tolerance and recovery and gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In the context of climate change and novel nutritional trends, legumes and chickpea in particular are becoming increasingly important because of their high protein content and adaptation to low-input conditions. The PGR of legumes represent a valuable source of genetic diversity that can be used for breeding. However, the limited use of germplasm is partly due to a lack of available characterization data. The development of HTP systems offers a perspective for the analysis of dynamic plant traits such as abiotic stress tolerance and can support the identification of suitable genetic resources with a potential breeding value. Sixty chickpea accessions were evaluated on an HTP system under contrasting water regimes to precisely evaluate growth, physiological traits, and recovery under optimal conditions in comparison to drought stress at the vegetative stage. In addition to traits such as Estimated Biovolume (EB), Plant Height (PH), and several color-related traits over more than forty days, photosynthesis was examined by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements on relevant days prior to, during, and after drought stress. With high data quality, a wide phenotypic diversity for adaptation, tolerance, and recovery to drought was recorded in the chickpea PGR panel. In addition to a loss of EB between 72% and 82% after 21 days of drought, photosynthetic capacity decreased by 16-28%. Color-related traits can be used as indicators of different drought stress stages, as they show the progression of stress.

The Role of Biofertilizer in Combination with Different NPK Fertilizer Treatments on Growth Characteristics and Yield Responses of Chicken Pea (Cicer arietinum L.)

This study aimed to investigate the role of mycorrhiza and humic acid in regulating soil nutrient levels and their effects on the quantitative and qualitative traits of chickpea plants. Our results showed that the application of humic acid and mycorrhiza, either individually or in combination, significantly increased the chlorophyll content of the plants compared to the control treatment. The combination of humic acid and mycorrhiza with 100% NPK levels resulted in the highest chlorophyll levels. Additionally, the combined treatment of humic acid and mycorrhiza with 100% NPK levels showed positive effects on yield-related traits, including seed yield, biological yield, number of pods per plant, and number of seeds per pod. The highest grain yield was obtained with the combined application of humic acid + mycorrhiza at the level of 100 NPK at the rate of ~8000 kg/ha, respectively. Also, the highest levels of N and P were observed with the combined application of humic acid+ mycorrhiza at 100% level of NPK. In general, the results showed that the combined use of humic acid and mycorrhiza has been able to reduce the use of NPK fertilizer by 25%. These findings suggest that the use of humic acid and mycorrhiza in combination with NPK fertilizers can enhance the growth and productivity of chickpea plants. Furthermore, this approach offers the potential to reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers, thereby promoting sustainable cropping systems. The study highlights the importance of bio-fertilizers and organic amendments in mitigating environmental pollution and improving crop production under changing environmental conditions.

Effects of Wood Distillate (Pyroligneous Acid) on the Yield Parameters and Mineral Composition of Three Leguminous Crops

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture is increasing the demand for novel products to improve the quality of crops in a more sustainable way. Wood distillate (WD, pyroligneous acid) is a by-product obtained during the pyrolysis of plant biomass that can be successfully applied in agriculture due to its ability to enhance the growth, size, and weight of edible plant parts. However, there is little information concerning its plant yield-promoting effects on leguminous crops. The present work investigated the effects of WD on the yield, protein content and mineral composition of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants grown in field conditions. The application of WD showed remarkable yield-promoting effects mostly in lentil plants, which significantly increased plant and shoot biomass, the number and weight of both pods and seeds, as well as the total seed protein content. Furthermore, seeds from WD-treated plants differentially increased the concentration of elements with high nutritional value for human health, including Fe, Ca, Mg and K. These results suggest that the effects of WD among the legumes tested are species-specific and that WD could be an optimal candidate to grow high-yielding legumes with improved seed nutritional quality.

Expression comparisons of defense-related genes in resistant and susceptible chickpea cultivars in response to Ascochyta rabiei

Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta rabiei is a destructive disease affecting chickpea crops worldwide. Numerous studies have sought to identify resistance genes involved in the defense response against Ascochyta blight, but the function of potential resistant genes across different chickpea genetic backgrounds remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the potential role of 16 genes involved in defense responses in partially resistant (ILC482) and susceptible (Sarı98) chickpea cultivars. The leaf samples were collected from 2-week-old seedlings at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post-inoculation (hpi) with A. rabiei and analyzed for differential expression of defense genes using qRT-PCR. Twelve out of 16 genes were differentially regulated between chickpea cultivars. The qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of defense genes was significantly higher in the partially resistant cultivar than that in the susceptible cultivar. The time point of the highest upregulation ratio for defense genes was variable between the cultivars. The expression of glutathione S-transferase, serine/threonine-protein kinase, WRKY gene (CaWRKY16), and wall associated-receptor kinase genes reached maximum levels in the resistant cultivar at 6 hpi, while antimicrobial peptide precursor (SNAKIN2), polymorphic antigen membrane protein, ethylene receptor-like sequences (CaETR1), and two nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat genes showed the highest activity at 24 hpi. In particular, CaWRKY16, CaWRKY50, glutathione S-transferase, CaETR1, and wall-associated-receptor kinase genes provided valuable information for assessing chickpea cultivars with different resistance levels. The results indicated that the expression changes of these genes involved in defense pathways play a crucial role in enhanced resistance of chickpea plants against Ascochyta blight and, therefore could be potential candidate genes for future breeding studies.