Zinc fertilization and water stress affects plant water relations, stomatal conductance and osmotic adjustment in chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.)

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is an important dryland pulse crop in many parts of the world. Productivity is often limited by periods of water deficit and in a number of regions zinc deficiency occurs, but the interaction between zinc nutrition and water stress has not been studied extensively. This interaction was examined in two glasshouse experiments. Chickpea was grown under deficient (no applied Zn) or adequate (2.5 µg Zn/g soil) levels of zinc in pots for either 53 days (Experiment 1) or 40 days (Experiment 2) before being exposed to a single period of water stress that lasted for 12 days (Experiment 1) or 23 days (Experiment 2). In one experiment four genotypes (Tyson, ICC-4958, T-1587 and NIFA-88) differing in their sensitivity to zinc deficiency were compared during a single drying cycle, and in the second experiment a single cultivar (Tyson) was compared under well-watered and water stress conditions. Water stress was induced by allowing the soil to dry gradually and the responses in shoot biomass, water use, plant water relations and carbon isotope discrimination ( , ) were measured. Shoot biomass, water use and water use efficiency were reduced by zinc deficiency. Stomatal conductance was lower in zinc-deficient plants as well. Zinc deficiency reduced by about 1 and there were significant differences in between genotypes which were independent of the level of zinc nutrition. At an adequate level of zinc there was a significant negative correlation between and shoot biomass and between and water use efficiency among the four chickpea genotypes, but these correlations were not significant under zinc deficiency. Osmotic potential was lower and turgor higher in the leaves of zinc-deficient plants, but the ability to adjust osmotically was reduced by zinc deficiency as stress developed. In conclusion, zinc-deficiency reduced the efficiency with which the water was used for biomass production and compromised the plant's capacity to respond to water stress by osmotic adjustment.

Short communication. Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to soil zinc application

“…Zn deficiency decreases yield and delays crop maturity. It also reduces water use and water use efficiency (Khan et al, 2004), as also root nodulation and hence nitrogen fixation (Shukla and Yadav, 1982). Zn deficiency can be easily overcome by soil application and by foliar application of Zn fertilizers (Roy et al, 2006).…”

Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) yield to zinc, boron and molybdenum application under pot conditions

“…Zn deficiency decreases crop yield and delays crop maturity. Also, Zn deficiency reduces water use and water use eff iciency (Khan et al, 2004) and also reduces nodulation and nitrogen fixation (Ahlawat et al, 2007), which contributes to a decrease in crop yield. In neutral to alkaline soils, Zn deficiencies can be encountered (Roy et al, 2006), Zn solubility decreases markedly above pH 6.0-6.5 (Sims, 2000).…”

Abiotic Stress and Its Amelioration in Cereals and Pulses: A Review

“…The independent effects of Mn, B and Zn may have a role in alleviating the damaging effects of drought on crop plants. Boron, Zinc and Mn applications raise the resistance of plants to drought stress (Azza et al, 2006, Khan et al, 2004, Movahhedy-Dehnavy et al, 2009and Wei et al, 2005.Field observation of barley has indicated that adequate Zn nutrition can increase drought tolerance (King 1994), while decrease in grain yield due to drought stress in wheat was shown to be more marked when plants were Zn deficient (Bagci et al, 2007 andEkiz et al, 1998).It has been established that micronutrients could prevent the suppression of leaf elongation under drought and finally the shoot dry matter production (Fukai et al, 1999, Pant et al, 1998and Peleg et al, 2008.…”