Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF BIOREGULATORS ON RELATIVE WATER CONTENT OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) UNDER LATE SOWN HIGH TEMPERATURE STRESS CONDITION

Sukumar Taria, Pramod Kumar and Gopa Mishra

Abstract

High temperature is considered as a serious threat to crop production worldwide. Chickpea is a winter season crop and thus its terminal part of life is exposed to high temperature stress. Photosynthesis is one of the most heat sensitive physiological processes in C3 plant like chickpea. Bioregulators have been recognized for their role in protection of photosynthetic machinery. Therefore, in order to analyze the potential foliar application of some bioregulators (viz. abscisic acid (ABA), benzyladenine, (BA) and salicylic acid (SA)) for improving photosynthesis, and other physiological parameters under high temperature condition,present investigation was undertaken using kabuli type chickpea variety (Pusa-1108) and high temperature stress was imposed by delaying the sowing dates (i.e. normal sowing and late sowing) to expose the terminal phase of crop to high temperature. Observations were recorded on relative water content (RWC). Under high temperature stress interestingly, application of bioregulators (ABA, BA, SA) in general, maintained the higher value of all physiological parameters. Present findings indicated that the foliar application of ABA, BA and SA enhanced the physiological adaptability under high temperature stress by improving RWC, and made the plant photosynthetically more efficient under late sown high temperature condition.