Comportement morpho-physiologique de cinq variétés de pois chiche (Cicer arietinum L) au manque d’eau

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), which originated in the Middle East approximately 8,500 years ago, is a self-pollinating annual legume highly valued for its high nutritional value. The experiment examined the responses of five chickpea varieties (ILC482, FLIP90/13C, CCLS, Lechoso, Ghab 05 ) to two forms of irrigation (100% and 25% Hcc), sown in cups, then planted in one-kilogram plastic bags filled with substrate (50% potting soil and 50% sea sand). For two weeks, the young shoots received their usual water supply, then water stress was introduced. Three weeks after the application of the stress, various analyses were carried out, covering morphological parameters (length of stems and roots, number of branches), physiological parameters (water balance, total water content, root to stem ratio), as well as biochemical parameters (chlorophyll content, leaf protein level). The study showed significant differences between varieties, particularly in the length of stems and roots, the root/stem ratio, and the weight of organs under stress. Some varieties demonstrated superior tolerance to water stress, highlighting valuable morphological and physiological adaptations for the selection of drought-resistant varieties.