Effects of temperature and water stresses on germination of some varieties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

Abstract

Chickpea production did not progress, in spite, of intensification of agricultural practices. Drought and thermal stresses were the major factors that decreased yield when the crop is generally sown in spring. Nevertheless, winter sowing has opened new opportunities for increasing chickpea production in arid areas. This culture is based on two essential factors: (i) preclude rainfall during the flowering and fruiting period (April/May) after a beneficial one in January and February for a good crop development and (ii) reducing the risk of infection by Ascochyta rabiei (considered as the main pathogen of chickpea) whose development is limited in arid area. The influence of temperature on seeds germination of the four varieties (Ghab4, Neyra, Kasseb and Chetoui) has been evaluated with seven temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35°C) and the effect of drought stress has been determined with seven water stresses induced by different solution of PEG 4000 (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 g/L). During germination, the tested varieties presented differential sensitivity to thermal stress. The Chetoui and Ghab4 varieties were more tolerant, to cold temperature, than the other varieties. Osmotic potential induced by PEG 4000 had significant effects on seeds germination. Chetoui and Ghab4 were the best tolerant to drought stress. Therefore, we opted for the Chetoui variety that better meets the conditions of stresses induced by low temperatures and water deficit. This best performing variety must have, throughout their development cycle, been tolerant to environmental stresses; which allows us to obtain early tools for discriminative selection between chickpea genotypes.

Barium effect on germination, plant growth, and antioxidant enzymes in Cucumis sativus L. plants

“…Inappropriate conditions may compromise the ability of seeds to sprout. It has been proven that thermal stress and drought stress affected germination parameters in four chickpea varieties (Sleimi et al, 2013). In fact, germination and seedling development are the most sensitive physiological stages in plants, especially under metallic stress, since the defense processes are affected, being often regarded as an important index to evaluate plant tolerance to heavy metals (Talebi et al, 2014).…”

Amelioration of drought effects in wheat and cucumber by the combined application of super absorbent polymer and potential biofertilizer

“…Germination is one of the most vital stages in a crop life cycle, which is significantly impacted by drought stress (Sleimi et al, 2013). Both the SAP treatment group and the PGPR + SAP treatment group significantly enhanced the germination rate of wheat and cucumber seeds.…”