Abstract
Zinc (Zn) deficiency is common in most of the chickpea growing areas of the world and growing Zn-efficient genotypes on Zn-deficient soil is a benign approach of universal interest. Response of 13 chickpea genotypes (10 desi and 3 kabuli) to Zn nutrition was studied in a pot experiment under glasshouse conditions. Plants were grown in a Zn-deficient siliceous sand for 6 weeks and fertilized with 0 (Zn−) and 2.5 mg Zn per kg soil (Zn+). When grown with no added Zn, Zn deficiency symptoms (chlorosis of younger leaves and stipules followed by necrosis of leaf margins) appeared 3–4 weeks after planting and were more apparent in cultivars Tyson, Amethyst and Dooen than Kaniva and T-1587. Zn deficiency reduced shoot growth, but it was less affected in breeding lines T-1587 and CTS 11308 than cultivars Tyson, Dooen, Amethyst and Barwon. Among all genotypes, Tyson produced the lowest root dry weight in Zn– treatment. Zinc efficiency based on shoot dry weight showed marked differences among genotypes; breeding lines CTS-60543, CTS-11308 and T-1587 were 2-fold more Zn-efficient than cultivars Tyson and Dooen. A higher Zn accumulation per plant and higher Zn uptake per g. of root dry weight were recorded in T-1587 and CTS-11308 when compared with Tyson. Root:shoot ratio was increased and proportionally more Zn was transported to the shoot when the soil was deficient. Cultivars that were very sensitive to Zn deficiency tended to have their root:shoot ratio increased by Zn deficiency more than less sensitive cultivars. The insensitive lines T-1587 and CTS-11308 transported more than 70% of the total absorbed Zn to the shoot. It is concluded that chickpea genotypes vary in their sensitivity to Zn deficiency. Advanced breeding lines T-1587 and CTS-11308 are relatively more Zn-efficient compared with Australian chickpea cultivar Tyson. Zn efficiency in chickpea genotypes is probably related to an efficient Zn absorption coupled with a better root to shoot transport.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahlawat I P S 1990 Diagnosis and alleviation of mineral nutrient constraints in chickpea. In Chickpea in the Nineties. Eds. H A Vanrheenen and M C Saxena. pp 93–99. ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India.
Beech D F and Brinsmead R B 1980 Tyson: a chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar for grain production. J. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci. 46, 127–128.
Cakmak I, Gülüt K Y, Marschner H and Graham R D 1994 Effect of Zn and iron deficiency on phytosiderophore release in wheat genotypes different in Zn efficiency. J. Plant Nutr. 17, 1–17.
Cakmak I, Sari N, Marschner H, Kalayci M, Yilmaz A, Eker S and Gülüt K Y 1996 Dry matter production and distribution of Zn in bread and durum wheat genotypes differing in Zn efficiency. Plant Soil 180, 173–181.
Cumbus I P 1985 Development of wheat roots under Zn deficiency. Plant Soil 83, 313–316.
Donald C M and Prescott J A 1975 Trace elements in Australian crop and pasture production, 1924–74. In Trace Elements in Soil-Plant-Animal Systems. Eds. D J D Nicholas and A R Egan. pp 7–37. Academic Publishers, Sydney, Australia.
Dong B, Rengel Z and Graham R D 1995 Root morphology of wheat genotypes differing in Zn efficiency. J. Plant Nutr. 18, 2761–2773.
Duncan O W 1967 Correction of Zn deficiency in wheat on the Darling Downs, Queensland. Queensl. J. Agric. Anim. Sci. 24, 287–292.
Graham R D, Ascher J S and Hynes S C 1992 Selecting Zn efficient cereal genotypes for soils of low Zn status. Plant Soil 146, 241–250.
Graham M J, Heavner D L, Nickell C D and Widholm J M 1993 Response of soybean genotypes to boron, Zn and manganese deficiency in tissue culture. Plant Soil 150, 307–310.
Graham R D and Rengel Z 1993 Genotypic variation in Zn uptake and utilization by plants. In Zinc in Soils and Plants. Ed. A D Robson. pp 107–118. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Grewal H S, Graham R D and Rengel Z 1996 Genotypic variation in Zn efficiency and resistance to crown rot disease (Fusarium graminearum Schw. Group 1) in wheat. Plant Soil 186, 219–226.
Hartwig E E, Jones W F and Kilen T C 1991 Identification and inheritance of inefficient Zn absorption in soybean. Crop Sci. 31, 61–63.
Khan H R, McDonald G K and Rengel Z 1998 Assessment of the Zn status of chickpea by plant analysis. Plant Soil 198, 1–9.
Knights E 1991 Chickpea. In New Crops. Eds. S Jessop and R L Wright. pp 27–38. Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Loneragan J F, Kirk G J and Webb M J 1987 Translocation and function of Zn in roots. J. Plant Nutr. 10, 1247–1254.
Marschner H and Römheld V 1983 In vivo measurements of root-induced pH changes at the soil-root interface: Effect of plant species and nitrogen sources. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 111, 241–251.
Nable R O and Webb M J 1993 Further evidence that Zn is required throughout the root zone for optimal plant growth and development. Plant Soil 150, 247–253.
Ohwaki Y and Sugahara K 1993 Genotypical differences in response to iron deficiency between sensitive and resistant cultivars of chickpea. Plant Soil 155/156, 473–476.
Rengel Z and Graham R D 1995 Importance of seed Zn content for wheat growth on Zn-deficient soil. I. Vegetative growth. Plant Soil 173, 259–266.
Rengel Z and Graham R D 1996 Uptake of Zn from chelate-buffered nutrient solutions by wheat genotypes differing in Zn efficiency. J. Exp. Bot. 47, 217–226.
Reuter D J, Cartwright B, Judson G J, McFarlane J D, Maschmedt D J and Robinson J B 1988 Trace elements in South Australia. Technical Report No. 139.
Saxena M C, Malhotra R S and Singh K B 1990 Iron deficiency in chickpea in the Mediterranean region and its control through resistant genotypes and nutrient application. Plant Soil 123, 251–254.
Siddique K H M and Khan T N 1996 Early-flowering and high-yielding chickpea lines from ICRISAT ready to release in Western Australia. Int. Chickpea Newslet. 3, 22–24.
Siddique K H M and Sedgley R H 1986 Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a potential grain legume for south-western Australia: Seasonal growth and yield. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 37, 245–261.
Singh B P, Singh A P and Sakal R 1983 Differential response of crops to Zn application in calcareous soils. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci. 31, 534–538.
Takkar P N 1993 Requirement and response of crop cultivars to micronutrients in India — a review. In Genetic Aspects of Plant Mineral Nutrition. Eds. P J Randall, E Delhaize, R R Richards and R Munns. pp 341–348. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Tiwari K N and Dwivedi B S 1990 Response of eight winter crops to Zn fertilizer on a Typic Ustochrept soil. J. Agric. Sci., Camb. 115, 383–387.
Tiwari K N and Pathak A N 1982 Studies of the Zn requirements of different crops. Exp. Agric. 18, 393–398.
Thongbai P, Graham R D, Neate S M and Webb M J 1993 Interaction between Zn nutritional status of cereals and Rhizoctonia root rot severity. II. Effect of Zn on disease severity of wheat under controlled conditions. Plant Soil 153, 215–222.
Weir R G and Holland J 1980 The residual effects of fertilizer Zn on a black earth soil from north western New South Wales. In Proc. Aust. Agron. Conf. Queensl. Coll. Agric. Lawes. Ed. I M Wood. p 310.
Zarcinas B A, Cartwright B and Spouncer L R 1987 Nitric acid digestion and multi-element analysis of plant material by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 18, 131–146.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Khan, H., McDonald, G. & Rengel, Z. Chickpea genotypes differ in their sensitivity to Zn deficiency. Plant and Soil 198, 11–18 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004241826907
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004241826907