Short Communication: Effects of irrigation and foliar application of methanol on growth indices of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Recent research studies show that the foliar application of methanol increases the growth of C₃ crops in arid regions. An experiment was carried out in a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Station of Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in spring 2010. Three irrigation levels (100, 75 and 50 percent of water requirement) and four foliar application levels of methanol (0, 20, 40 and 60 volumetric percent) formed the main and sub plots, respectively. Methanol was sprayed on chickpea shoots after pod stage in 3 times with a 10- day interval. The result showed that the effects of foliar application of methanol on physiological traits were significant. So that spraying of 60 volumetric percent of methanol affected physiological traits greater than other treatments and caused increasing in dry matter, leaf area index and crop growth rate while had no effect on relative growth rate. In drought stress treatment, leaf area index, cumulative dry weight and crop growth rate, relative growth rate were in their maximum amounts under adequate moisture treatment (control) compared with the drought stress conditions due to continued vegetative growth in control plants. In this experiment, the differences observed in the amount of dry matter accumulation and crop growth rate are mainly due to decreased leaf area index under drought stress conditions.