Effect of elevated temperatures on yield attributing characters under moisture stress and different sowing dates of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Seeds of twenty chickpea genotypes were subjected to five levels (15/15 ºC, 20/20 ºC, 25/15 ºC, 25/20 ºC and 25/25 ºC) of elevated temperature. Daily germination count, seedling length, germination percentage, promptness index, seedling vigour and various germination stress indices were recorded two days after starting germination test. The elevated temperature stress reduced germination percentage, shoot length and root length of seedling in all genotypes. Among the various temperature regimes, the temperature 15/15 ºC and 20/20 ºC found better for all the recorded parameters with their index. The genotypes Digvijay, PG 96006 and PG 625 recorded highest germination percentage with maximum seedling length, promptness index (PI), germination stress index (GSI), vigour index (VI), coefficient velocity of germination (CVG) with minimum stress susceptibility index (STI). Results also indicated that different growth indices were found effective tool for early screening of heat tolerant and susceptible chickpea genotypes. two temperature regimes (20/15ºC and 25/20ºC) on growth and yield was studied by recording various observations on morph physiological, biochemical parameters, yield characters and various stress indices for seed yield. Among the elevated temperatures, 20/15ºC was found better for phenological, growth, biochemical parameters and yield contributing characters. The genotypes, Digvijay, Vijay and PG 625 had highest yield stability index, mean productivity, harmonic mean and stress tolerance index whereas, genotypes, Vishal and PG 12107 displayed poor performance. The stress susceptibility index was lowest in genotypes Digvijay, Vijay and highest in Vishal on the basis of seed yield per plant.