Differential sensitivity of Desi (small‐seeded) and Kabuli (large‐seeded) chickpea genotypes to water stress during seed filling: effects on accumulation of seed reserves and yield

Abstract

Water stress during the reproductive phase, especially during seed development, is considered detrimental for chickpea yield. In the present study, the relative sensitivity of Desi and Kabuli chickpea types to water stress during seed filling was assessed in terms of effects on quantitative and qualitative aspects of seed yield. Leaves of both types experienced stress injury (evaluated as electrolyte leakage) to the same extent and possessed almost similar values of water potential at the end of 14 days of water stress. The stressed plants of Kabuli type lost more chlorophyll and had less photosynthesis than Desi type. At maturity, Desi type showed more diminution of vegetative dry matter due to stress over control than Kabuli type. On the other hand, Kabuli type showed a proportionally greater reduction in seed weight per plant, average seed weight, average seed size, number of pods (single-and double-seeded) and harvest index. The stressed seeds of Kabuli type showed 48 and 46% reduction over control in starch and protein content compared with 25 and 40%, respectively in Desi type. The accumulation of soluble sugars was relatively greater due to stress in Kabuli (47%) than Desi type (23%). Fat and fiber content declined by 39 and 35% over control in Desi seeds because of stress whereas Kabuli type showed 46 and 67% decreases, respectively. Protein fractions, namely albumins, globulins, glutelins and prolamins, decreased in stressed seeds of Kabuli by 32, 40, 16 and 15% over control relative to 40, 48, 30 and 28%, respectively, in Kabuli type. The activities of sucrose synthase, invertase and soluble starch synthase were inhibited to a higher extent in Kabuli seeds than Desi seeds under stress. Kabuli seeds showed significantly more reduction in the accumulation of amino acids such as phenylalanine + tyrosine, tryptophan, valine, alanine and histidine and minerals (Ca, P, Fe) due to stress compared with Desi type.

Characterisation and functional properties of proteins of some Indian chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cultivars

“…The albumin fraction in chickpea has been reported to represent 150–250 g kg −1 of the total cotyledonary protein, whereas globulin, a storage protein, constitutes 600–800 g kg −1 of the extractable protein 9. The albumin, globulin, glutelin and prolamin fractions have been found to decrease in stressed seeds of Kabuli and Desi chickpea cultivars 25. Thus the chickpea cultivars used in the present study had similar values to those reported in the literature.…”

Nutritional Quality of Sorghum Seeds: Storage Proteins and Amino Acids

“…In chickpea, the prolamin fraction represents 28% of the storage protein fraction (Nayyar et al, 2006), which is much lower than that in maize (Azevedo et al, 2003) but considerably higher than the concentrations observed for sorghum, which varied from 2-13% among the genotypes tested in this study. In transgenic soybean lines expressing a maize gamma-zein, the contents of such proteins were considerably higher than that of the untransformed soybean line (Li et al, 2005).…”

Physiological Changes of Wheat Varieties Under Water Deficit Condition

“…The leaf water potential is a prominent character that can be selected for improving drought tolerance of different crops (Nayyar et al, 2006). The leaf water potential was significantly influenced and decreased markedly in the studied varieties due to water stress at booting and anthesis stages (Table 1).…”