Morphological Analysis of Stomata of Cicer arietinum L.

Sinaloa is Mexico’s leading producer of Kabuli chickpea, but its cultivation is increasingly constrained by limited water resources due to its dry and semi-arid climate. Stomata, which regulate gas exchange and water loss, play a vital role in plant adaptation to drought and high temperature stress. Studying stomatal traits can reveal plant responses and help identify chickpea cultivars better suited to water-scarce and high-temperature environments.

The experiment was conducted in Sinaloa, Mexico using three Kabuli chickpea cultivars: Blanco Sinaloa-92, Combo-743 and Sinalomex-2018. Key traits assessed included stomatal density, epidermal and trichome counts, stomatal area, seed yield, grain size and exportable grain percentage. Data analysis involved correlation, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, MANOVA and ANOVA to evaluate trait variability and cultivar differences.

Cultivar Combo-743 was distinguished by its larger stomata, while Sinalomex-2018 exhibited smaller stomata. On both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surface, a significant negative correlation (P<0.05; r = -0.65 and r = -0.73, respectively) was observed between stomatal area and trichome density. This supports the notion of a trade-off between trichome and stomatal development reported in various plant species.