Differential response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)genotypes to salinity

SUMMARYTwenty genotypes of chickpea, selected according to their performance in trials conducted during 1988/89 in saline fields having equal concentrations of SO4and Cl, were studied during 1989/90 at Karnal, India. The Cl-dominated soils were divided into microplots with ECe values of 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m. Germination, although delayed at ECe 6 and 8 dS/m, was not inhibited up to ECe 8 dS/m. The sensitivity of all genotypes increased with plant growth and greater salinity. Plant growth was most adversely affected by a salinity of ECe 8 dSm. 100-seed weight was less affected by salinity than other yield components, namely, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant and seed yield/plant. Chlorides had a more severe toxic effect when present in domination than when they were balanced by an equal concentration of sulphates. Genotypes varied in their tolerance of Cl-dominated salinity. Cultivars ICCC32 and 1CCL86446 showed the most tolerance to Cl-salinity, having > 0·75 Mean Tolerance Index values for all eight characters, followed by ICC5003, ICC10575, ICC12908 and ICC12926. ICC12928 had the highest mean tolerance index value for number of pods/plant and highest threshold value and ICC4953 the highest mean tolerance index for 100-seed weight, indicating their better tolerance at flowering and maturity respectively. Therefore, crossing genotypes of the latter with the former group should produce some recombinants with improved tolerance to salinity at all growth stages and at maturity.