Effect of drought stress on germination characteristics of two populations of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum subsp. graceum L.)

A laboratory research carried out to evaluate the effect of drought stress on germination characteristics in two 'Indian' and 'Isfahanian' populations of Fenugreek. This experiment performed in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replicates. Four levels of drought stress applied by using polyethylene glycol 6000. Percentage of germination, germination rate, vigor index, root and shoot length as well as fresh and dry weight were measured after 7 days. The results showed that drought stress caused a significant reduction in both population growth and germination, although the percentage of germination, seedling growth and vigor index in the Isfahanian population was higher than the Indian. With the increase of water stress and the reduction of water potential from -3 Bar to -7 Bar, the percentage of germination, vigor index, root and shoot length as well as fresh and dry weight significantly decreased.