Vol. 8, Issue 8, Part C (2024)

Abstract: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum), an ancient leguminous crop, faces significant yield reduction under saline soil conditions. This study aimed to identify chickpea genotypes with improved salinity tolerance by evaluating correlations between physiological and biochemical traits and yield under different salinity levels. The experiment included 10 chickpea genotypes subjected to three salinity treatments (0, 3, and 6 dS/m) in a completely randomized design. Parameters assessed included chlorophyll content (SPAD), relative water content (RWC), membrane injury index (MII), and biochemical markers such as proline and malic acid. Results showed that SPAD values, indicating chlorophyll content, were positively correlated with yield across all salinity levels (0.725 to 0.913). Higher chlorophyll content was associated with better yield, reflecting its role in maintaining photosynthetic efficiency. RWC also demonstrated a strong positive correlation with yield (0.73 to 0.987), suggesting that better water retention supports higher yield under salinity stress. Conversely, MII exhibited a negative correlation with yield (-0.608 to -0.93), indicating that increased membrane damage impairs yield. Total Chlorophyll Content (TCC) and Chlorophyll Stability Index (CSI) showed strong positive correlations with yield parameters (SY/P, TW) under saline conditions, underscoring the importance of chlorophyll maintenance for stress tolerance. Biochemical parameters, particularly proline and malic acid, were positively associated with yield under salinity stress. Proline correlations ranged from 0.775 to 0.799, and malic acid showed correlations up to 0.974 with seed yield, highlighting their roles in osmotic adjustment and stress resilience. This study emphasizes the significance of physiological and biochemical traits in enhancing chickpea salinity tolerance and offers valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at improving crop resilience under adverse conditions.