Physiological effects of drought stress by polyethylene glycol on germination of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) genotypes

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is one of the traditional pulses of arid and semi-arid regions which is cultivated under rainfed conditions. Germination is one of the main growth stages that successfulness in this stage is dependent on moisture content of soil at time of planting. This study examined germination characteristics of 12 lentil genotypes ( MLC 129, MLC 4, MLC 13, MLC 40, MLC 232, MLC 80, MLC 191, MLC 187, MLC 183, MLC 179, MLC 245, ML313) under five levels of negative water potential ( 0 , -4 , -8 , -12 , -16 bar ) using a 5×12 factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Water potential significantly reduced germination percentage, germination rate, radicle and plumule length, radicle and plumule dry weight. The genotypes showed a significant difference in all trails except radicle to plumule ratio and radicle to plumule dry weight ratio. Based on this result plumule length as a plantlet trait and -8, -12 bars as negative water potential are suggested for evaluating drought resistance of lentil genotypes to water stress