GROWTH, PHOTOSYNTHSIS, NODULE NITROGEN AND CARBON FIXATION IN DESI AND KABULI GENOTYPES OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) UNDER SALT STRESS

摘要

Soil salinity is a major agricultural problem in the world which significantly reduces the productivity of a broad range of crops. Legumes have long been recognized to be highly salt sensitive. Chickpea is a premier pulse crop amongst the one dozen pulse crops under cultivation and accounts for 28 percent of the total production of pulses grown in India. Two commercial types of chickpea, kabuli and desi, are known depending upon the differences in the seed size and geographic origin. The kabuli are large seeded (macrosperma) and of Mediterranean origin and the desi are small seeded (microsperma) and of Indian origin. Chickpea is known to be highly susceptible towards soil salinity causing one of the major agronomic problems of the Indian subcontinent.