Variability in membrane injury index in chickpea genotypes

The possibility of using simple traits like relative water content (RWC) and membrane injury index (MII) for screening chickpea genotypes for drought tolerance was worked out. The RWC and MII of a genotype measured during early phase was found to provide an indication of its relative MII during reproductive stages. The genotypes could be grouped into different categories on the basis of MII. These traits are relatively simple and, therefore, can be used to screen large number of population for stress tolerance.