?RESPONSE OF LEGUMES TO SALT STRESS: EFFECT ON GROWTH AND NITROGEN FIXATION OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM VAR. CM-72)
Keywords:
Salt stress, Nitrogen fixation, Chickpea.Abstract
Inagreenhouseexperiment,chickpea(CM-72)wassubjectedtodifferentsalinitylevelsunderun-inoculated and
rhizobialinoculationtostudyeffectiveness (noduleformation)andgrowthoftheplant.Tnasetofinoculatedplants,the
plantsdiedat6.0 dSrrr' andbeyondatfloweringstageshowingtheirsensitivitytowardsalinity.Plantheight,drymatter
yield(DMY),N-content(mg/plant)decreasedwithincreasingsalinitylevelsinbothinoculatedandun-inoculated plants
atallgrowth stages.Nodulationwasadverselyaffectedduetopresenceofsalinityinthegrowthmedium.Percentcrude
proteinincreased withincreasingsalinity.Percentcrudeproteincomparativelyincreasedininoculated plantsthan un-
inoculatedones.Chickpeaissensitivetosalinity.Seedtreatmentwithrhizobialinoculummayimprovetheproteincon-'
tent of plant under saline conditions.