Physiological traits associated with drought tolerance in Moroccan chickpea

Abstract

In a greenhouse experiment conducted in Mohammedia, drought stress responses were evaluated under two treatments (100% and 50% of field capacity; FC) in six Moroccan chickpea varieties: Arifi, Bouchra, Farihane, Moubarak, Rizki, and Zahour. The susceptibility index (SI) clearly differentiated the varieties, with less negative SI values indicating greater drought tolerance. Rizki (−33%) and Moubarak (−59%) represented the two extremes. Root/whole- plant ratio (R/WP) values increased in Rizki, from 1.00 to 1.36, but declined in Moubarak, from 1.19 to 1.06, mirroring their SI differences. Leaf water content followed the same trend. Across ions, varieties with less negative SI tended to maintain leaf Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ at 50% FC, whereas more susceptible lines showed weaker maintenance, an observational pattern aligned with the panels. Using the 100%/50% FC bench test together with SI, R/WP, and the observed leaf Mg²⁺/Fe²⁺ pattern offers a straightforward and practical way to screen chickpea varieties for drought tolerance in Moroccan breeding programmes.