Impact of Seed Hardening Chemicals to Induce Drought Tolerance in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A field experiment was conducted at the Main Agriculture Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during rabi 2021 to evaluate the impact of seed hardening with Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on Physiological, Biochemical, and yield parameters of chickpea (var. JG-11). The experiment, laid out in a randomized block design with three replications, included seed soaking treatments with ALA at concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 ppm, along with 2% CaCl2. Results indicated that ALA at 30 ppm significantly improved plant height, number of primary branches, total dry matter, and SPAD value compared to the control. Additionally, By showing high relative water content, Proline content, Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll stability index. Seed hardening with ALA (30 ppm) and CaCl2 (2%) also resulted in increased yield components and yield, with the highest economic returns observed in the 2% CaCl2 treatment. Overall, the study demonstrated that seed hardening with ALA (30 ppm) and CaCl2 (2%) effectively enhanced drought tolerance and improved chickpea productivity.