Department of Crop Physiology, C.S.A.U. of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur - 208 002, India.
Twenty five genotypes of chickpea were grown in field during 1999–2000 under rainfed conditions. It was observed that at flowering stage, genotypes KG-10, 173-1 and KG-5 produced maximum branches plant−1, relative water content (RWC) and leaf water potential whereas KG-10 did not produce significantly higher leaf turgidity at this stage. Minimum branches were counted in KW-151 and Radhey, however, lowest RWC was recorded in leaf of KG-1, genotype DG-5 yielded maximum seed weight plant−1 and was able to maintain higher plant water status and produced maximum number of seeds plant−1, seeds pod−1 and harvest index coupled with the higher leaf water potential. This was closely followed by 173-1, KG-11, KW-80-3, KG-14 and were identified as drought tolerant.
