PHYSIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF MUNG BEAN (Vigna radiata) VARIETIES FOR WATER DEFICIT STRESS TOLERANCE

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the research field and laboratory of the Department of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Hajee Mohammed Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur, during the period of mid-January to mid - June, 2019 to evaluate four mungbean varieties for water deficit stress tolerance. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications. The main plot treatment consisted of two water regimes: (i) well water and (ii) water stress condition) and the sub plot treatments consisted of four mungbean varieties: (i) BINA mung-5, (ii) BINA mung-8, (iii) BARI mung-6 and (iv) BARI mung-8. Results showed that, cell membrane of BINA mung-5 (97.86%), BINA mung-8 (93.97%), BARI mung-6 (90.42%) were found more stable than that of BARI mung8 (66.31%) against polyethylene glycol (PEG) induced water deficit stress. The yield and yield contributing characters of mungbean varieties were significantly reduced by water deficiency condition. The grain yield of BINA Mung 5 (17.31%) was affected less than that of BARI Mung 6 (39.79%), BINA Mung 8 (49.02%) and BARI mung 8 (30.70%) due to water deficit stress. Higher level of leaf proline, higher total dry mater, higher cell membrane stability and better yield components such as pods plant-1 , grain number plant-1 and grain yield plant-1 contributed greater yield of BINA Mung 5 under water stress condition. The order of stress susceptibility based on grain yield was found as BINA Mung 5 (0.5) > BARI Mung 8 (0.88)> BARI Mung 6(1.16)> BINA Mung 8(1.42).