Vol. 9, Special Issue 9, Part P (2025)

Drought is a major constraint affecting chickpea production, especially in semi-arid regions. This study evaluated five chickpea genotypes for drought tolerance using polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) to simulate osmotic stress under in vitro conditions. Seed germination, shoot length, and root length were assessed under 0%, 5%, 7%, and 10% PEG treatments. Analysis of variance showed significant effects of PEG on all traits. Germination and shoot length decreased with increasing stress, with Phule Vishwaraj and BG-10216 showing higher tolerance. Interestingly, certain genotypes, particularly Phule Vishwaraj and BG-10216, maintained or increased root length under stress, indicating adaptive responses. These findings highlight genetic variation in drought tolerance and suggest that root growth could serve as an important selection trait in breeding programs. The study confirms the usefulness of in vitro screening as a fast and economical approach for identifying drought-tolerant chickpea genotypes and reports, increased root length under PEG stress in chickpea.