Physiological response and tolerance indices for some lentil cultivars (Lens culinaris Medic) under rain-fed conditions

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Hout station / General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research in Sewida Governorate to study the response of six cultivars of lentils (Idlib 2, Idlib 3, Idlib 4, Idlib 5, ebla and hourani) under rain-fed and irrigated conditions during 2021/2022. A split plot design was used and the data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance. The results showed that there were significant differences between the two moisture treatments, where the irrigated treatment was significantly superior compared to the rain-fed treatment in most studied traits. As for the cultivars, the Hourani cultivar recorded the highest value for the relative water content (53.31%), followed by the cultivar Idlib 2 (53.14), and the cultivar Idlib 2 recorded the lowest value for the characteristic of electrolytes leakage (20.31%), followed by Hourani (25.14%), and with regarding to the water use efficiency, the cultivar Idlib 2 also recorded the highest value (2.433 kg. mm^-1. ha^-1) followed by Hourani (2.410 kg. mm^-1. ha^-1). For the interaction, Idlib 2 and Hourani also recorded the best values in the majority of interactions. In addition, for the tolerance indices, the results showed the ability of the tolerance indices to determine drought-tolerant cultivars, the cultivar Idlib 2 was the most tolerant, also the cultivar Hourani. Based on these results, it is recommended to plant the two cultivars, Idlib 2 and Hourani, in the second zone in Sewida Governorate.