Response to soil salinity of two chickpea varieties differing in drought tolerance

Two chickpea varieties, differing in drought tolerance, were grown in lysim eters filled with clay, and were irrigated with waters of three different s alinity levels. Under non-saline conditions, both varieties, slightly diffe ring in pre-dawn leaf water potential during the growth period, gave almost the same yield. Salinity had a slight effect on the leaf water potential and the osmotic ad justment. Both were slightly higher for the drought tolerant variety, but m uch lower in comparison with sugar beet, tomato and lentil. The drought tol erant variety showed an earlier senescence in leaf and dry matter developme nt and flowering which were accelerated by salinity. The drought sensitive variety, however, showed under slightly saline conditions (ECe = 2.5 dS/m) from 135 days after sowing onwards a different behaviour by the growth of n ew leaves and flowers, a delay in senescence, leading to the same yield as under non-saline conditions. Under saline conditions (ECe = 3.8 dS/m) the d rought sensitive variety showed the same yield reduction of about 70% as th e drought tolerant variety. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.