Six chickpea (Cicer arietinum) genotypes (Tyson, K 850, Ammethyst, Annigeri, ICC 4958 and C 214) grown in Hisar, Haryana, India, during the rabi seasons of 1999-2000 and 2000-01 were evaluated under moisture stress for morpho-physiological characteristics conferring resistance to drought. The increased moisture stress reduced the duration of the reproductive and maturity phases over the irrigated control. The water use efficiency was greater under rainfed conditions, followed by irrigated conditions, and lowest in rainout shelters. Moisture stress significantly reduced the plant water status, plant height, number of effective pods per plant, 100-seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, and harvest index over the irrigated control. The maturity duration had significant positive association with seed yield (r=0.73). The plant water status parameters had significant positive association with seed yield and soil water use during the crop season. The total water use showed significant association with seed yield (r=0.71). Annegeri and Tyson had relatively higher relative water contents, water use efficiency, and seed yield compared than the other genotypes.

chickpeas, crop yield, cultivars, drought, droughtresistance, harvest index, lines, plant height, plant water relations,pods, seed weight, stress, stress response, water stress, water useefficiency, yield components, Haryana, India, Cicer arietinum, Cicer,Papilionoideae, Fabaceae, Fabales, dicotyledons, angiosperms,Spermatophyta, plants, eukaryotes, India, South Asia, Asia, DevelopingCountries, Commonwealth of Nations, cultivated varieties, droughttolerance, Field Crops (FF005) (New March 2000), Plant Breeding andGenetics (FF020), Plant Water Relations (FF062), Plant Production(FF100), Environmental Tolerance of Plants (FF900)

• Journal Article

• Crop Water Use
• Drought