%0 Journal Article
%T Variation of sensitivity to Drought stress in Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [l.]millsp) Cultivars During Seed Germination and Early Seedling Growth
%A Ravi Ranjan Kumar
%A G R Naik
%A Krishna Karjol
%J World Journal of Science and Technology
%D 2011
%I 
%X The experiments were performed to evaluate seed germination, early seedling growth and other seedling parameters in stimulated drought to evaluate the ability to estimate drought tolerance in 10 local cultivated Pigeonpea cultivars among which six red cultivars (ICP 8863, ICPL 87119, GC-11-39, TAT 9903, G-RED and BSMR 736), three white cultivars (GRG 295, WRP-1 and TS 3) and one black cultivar (PG-12) were tested.   Drought stress was imposed through polyethylene glycol 6000 of osmotic potential -0.15, -0.30, -0.45, -0.89 MPa. Percentage germination, early seedling growth such as radicle and hypocotyl length, seedling fresh and dry weight and other seedling vigor parameters were investigated in the present investigation. The results indicated significant differences among cultivars under drought stress level. In all cultivars, a significant decrease was observed with increase in stress level. The result clearly indicated that white and black cultivars were more tolerant than red cultivars. Sensitive cultivars showed no germination at -0.89 MPa osmotic potential, while germination was inhibited ~92% in moderately tolerant cultivars but tolerant cultivars showed about 20% germination. The germination was not seen beyond -0.89MPa. The increase in drought stress reduced the germination rate, seedling fresh and dry biomass, seedling vigour index and germination index in all cultivars. Mean germination time increased with increase in drought stress. Drought stress greatly affected the hypocotyl length rather than growth of radicle which indicates that the length of hypocotyl is more sensitive to drought stress. It was concluded that the inhibition in germination at equivalent water potentials of PEG was mainly due to an osmotic effect.
%K Drought stress
%K Pigeonpea
%K Polyethylene glycol
%K Seedling growth
%U http://worldjournalofscience.com/index.php/wjst/article/view/6305