Alleviation of Drought Stress on Chickpea ( Cicer acietrinum L . ) Plants by Foliar Application of Polyamine Compounds

Two field experiments were carried out to study alleviation of water stress on chickpea plants (Cicer arietinum L.) by foliar application with polyamines compounds i.e. putrescine and spermidine in private farm at New Salheyia Region, Sharkia Governorate during the winter seasons of 2015/16 and 2016/17 agricultural seasons. The main obtained results were:1Growth characters; i.e. plant height, number and dry weight of each one from branches, leaves and pods/plant, leaves area /plant and LAI at 90 and 105 days after sowing were significantly decreased under the water stress conditions. Moreover, results indicated that chicpea plants appeared to be more sensitive to water stress during flowering stage followed by pod formation stage, wheras, the harmful effect caused at pod filling stage treatment was the lowest one. On the other hand, spraying chickpea plants with 100 mg/l putrescine , as well as, 100 mg / l spermidine seemed to be the most favorable treatments to increase growth attributes. 2-yield and its components, i.e. pods dry weight/plant, seed index, seed, straw and biological yields per plant and l or fed., crop index, as well as, harvest index were significantly affected by water stress treatments. Moreover, the all previous yield and its components except crop index and harvest index significantly decreased by skipping an irrigation at certain developmental growth stage. The results indicate that pods dry weight/plant, seed index, seed, straw and biological yields per plant and /or per fed. of chickpea plants appeared to be more sensitive to water stress during flowering stage followed by pod formation stage and pod filling stage, respectively. The results show clearly that foliar spraying with 100 mg/l putrecine and / or 100 mg/l spermidine harvested the greatest yield and its components of chickpea plants. On the other hand, the effect of polyamines compounds concentrations on crop index and harvest index faild to reach the significant levels at 5%. 3-The effect of the interaction between missing an irrigation at different stages of growth and putrescine and spermidine concentrations indicate clearly that chickpea plants cv.giza-30 was more sensitive to water stress at flowering stage compared with pods formation and pods filling stages, respectively, in addition, putrescine and spermidine as foliar application with 100 mg / l can be alleviate the harmful effect on growth characters and yield and its components of chickpea plants caused by water stress conditions under newly cultivated sandy lands.