Effects of Freezing Stress)in vitro) on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Ecotypes

To evaluate the resistance of promising chickpea ecotypes to freezing temperatures, an experiment with eight promising cold tolerant chickpea was performed. The ecotypes consisting of 4301, 4322, 4360, 4361, 4366, 4380, 4715, 4816 along with a sensitive one (304) were sown in pots at natural conditions. All the chickpea ecotypes were exposed to freezing temp eratures at controlled conditions during 4, 6 and 8 leaf growing stages. Experimental treatments were arranged factorially and were compared in a complete randomized block design with four replications. After 20 days, plant survival and leaf damage percentages were recorded. Stress at the eight-leaf stage caused the highest plant mortality and leaf damage while at the 4 leaf stage the least mortality and leaf damage was recorded. Ecotypes 4322 and 4715 indicated the highest resistance to freezing stress at the 4-leaf stage. A higher sensitivity to freezing damage for chickpea at more advanced vegetative stages was observed in this experiment.