Thresholds for chickpea leaf expansion and transpiration response to soil water deficit

Citation
A. Soltani et al., Thresholds for chickpea leaf expansion and transpiration response to soil water deficit, FIELD CR RE, 68(3), 2000, pp. 205-210
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture/Agronomy
Journal title
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
ISSN journal
03784290 → ACNP
Volume
68
Issue
3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
205 - 210
Database
ISI
SICI code
0378-4290(200011)68:3<205:TFCLEA>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
This study determined the thresholds (the onset of decline) for leaf expans ion (C-L) and transpiration (C-T) responses to soil water deficit in chickp ea (Cicer arietinum L.) and evaluated their importance to crop performance under rainfed conditions using a chickpea simulation model in two contrasti ng locations. Two pot experiments were conducted to determine the threshold s during adrying cycle, when plant responses were monitored as the soil dri ed progressively. Leaf area expansion and transpiration did not change unti l the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) reached 0.48 (C-L) and 0.3 4 (C-T), respectively, and then decreased linearly to FTSW of 0.03 for leaf expansion and 0 for transpiration. Simulation results of sensivity test sh owed that for long and intensive terminal droughts, high C-L and C-T and fo r short and intermittent droughts, low C-L and C-T favor grain yield but th e yield increases with best combinations of C-L and C-T do not exceed 1% (2 0 kg ha(-1)) and 5% (40 kg ha(-1)), respectively. Thus, the contribution of C-L and C-T differences in crop performance under water deficit conditions seems limited. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.