EFFECT OF DEFOLIATION AND DEFLOWERING ON POST-FLOWERING DRY-MATTER DISTRIBUTION IN CHICKPEA (CICER-ARIETINUM L)

Studies on source-sink relationship were conducted in two chickpea var ieties Cicer arietinum L. namely, Kabuli (L-550) and Desi (BG-256). Th e primary objective of the present study was to assess the influence o f source/sink manipulation by defoliation or deflowering or both on dr y matter accumulation in different vegetative parts. Seeds were sown i n earthen pots containing sandy loam soils. Plants were raised under n ormal moisture conditions following recommended agronomic practices. I n defoliation treatment all the freshly formed leaves were removed fro m the onset of flowering until harvest. The leaves formed earlier were kept intact. Removal of flower buds from start of flowering until har vest contributed deflowering treatment. Defoliation and deflowering tr eatment is a combination of both, whereas untreated plants served as c ontrol. Significant differences in dry matter distribution and total s oluble sugar (TSS) content as a function of source sink manipulation w ere observed between the varieties. Defoliation treatment preferential ly increased more stem dry weight (DW) in L-550 and more root and nodu le dry weight in BG-256. In both the varieties deflowering treatment r esulted in increased leaf and stem DW. This treatment also resulted in increased root and nodule DW in BG-256, but only nodule DW in L-550. When defoliation treatment was combined with deflowering, in both the varieties a decrease in DW in leaf and stem and an increase in DW of r oot and nodule were observed. Total dry matter content increased 2-3-f old with deflowering in L-550 but in Bg-356 there was no significant i ncrease, indicating a possible role of flowers and reproductive organs in dry matter accumulation. Similar results were obtained even with d efoliation, which indicates the major role played by leaves formed bef ore flowering in L-550, and leaves formed after flowering in BG-256. T hus, this study suggests variation in the functional role of leaves fo rmed before and after flowering.