Study on drought stress effects on morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.) under field condition

In order to evaluate of morphological، physiological and biochemical traits، related to drought tolerance، an experiment was carried out in field condition. In this study two commercial cultivars (MCC361، MCC358)، three Kabuli and three Deci type of tolerant genotypes (MCC392، MCC537، MCC696، MCC873، MCC870، MCC10،) and three Kabuli and three Deci type of susceptible genotypes (MCC759، MCC588، MCC774، MCC45، MCC39، MCC101) were grown in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad research field. These genotypes were compared in shoot length، dry weight، leaf area، Fv/Fm، leaf water potential، prolin and protein content and catalase activity in the flowering stage. There was a significant positive correlation between prolin and protein content. Catalase activity also had significant positive correlation with dry weight and leaf area. Susceptible genotypes had lower Fv/Fm، leaf water potential، prolin content and catalase activity than tolerant genotypes. Accordingly، Fv/Fm، leaf water potential، prolin content and catalase activity were introduced as suitable markers for identification of drought tolerant genotypes. Commercial cultivar (MCC358) was introduced as a tolerant genotype because of higher Fv/Fm، leaf water potential، prolin content and catalase activity as compared to susceptible genotypes under drought stress.