Reaction of chickpea genotypes to iron deficiency in a calcareous soil

A field investigation was conducted on a highly calcareous, pH 8.6 soil to determine chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn.) genotype differences to Fe deficiency chlorosis. The genotypes DhG 82–1 and DhG 82–9 were tolerant, DhG 82–16 was susceptible, and DhG 81–3 was highly susceptible to Fe deficiency chlorosis. The deficiency reduced shoot growth and this reduced growth correlated (r values) significantly with peroxidase activity (0.990), O‐phenanthroline ferrous‐Fe (0.983), total chlorophyll (0.969), and carotenoids (0.983). These latter traits could possibly be used to evaluate or screen chickpea genotypes for Fe deficiency chlorosis. Other properties which had high but nonsignificant correlations with shoot dry weight were concentrations of Ca(‐0.887), K(‐0.851), Na(‐0.796), total Fe (0.457), and phenolic compounds (0.821).