Screening of chickpea genotypes against salinity stress

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the period from December 13, 2010 to May 13, 2011 at the Crop Physiology Lab, Agronomy Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). In Hoagland culture solution, 70 (Seventy) genotypes of chickpea were tested during germination and seedling stage at 0, 5, 10 and 15 dS/m salinity levels. Distilled water (0 dS/m) was used as a control. Germination percentage (GP), relative germination percentage (RGP), germination rate (GR), relative germination rate (RGR), root length (RL), relative root length (RRL), shoot length (SL), relative shoot length (RSL), vigor index, total dry matter (TDM) and relative total dry matter (RTDM) were found to be affected by salinity. Genotypes BD-6061, BD-6066 BD-6071, BD- 6060, BD-6067 and BD 6078 performed better at 10 dS/m and survived up to 15 days after germination as evaluated on the basis of germination percentage (GP), relative germination percentage (RGP), total dry matter (TDM) and relative total dry matter (RTDM). These genotypes could be selected for further investigation under pot culture and field evaluation in the saline area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v39i4.22539 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(4): 605-619, December 2014