Freezing stress induces changes in the morphophysiological of chickpea and wild mustard seedlings

Abstract

Wild mustard is one of the common and troublesome winter weeds of chickpea fields and a great competitor to reduce the chickpea productivity. Plant species (chickpeas cv. Saral and wild mustard) were compared at freezing temperatures (+4 as a control, 0, À4, À8, À12, À16, and À20 C) based on the morphophysiological traits and their recovery ability. Chickpea chlorophyll fluorescence was more sensitive to low temperatures than wild mustard. Chickpea and wild mustard F v 0 /F m 0 (light-adapted maximum efficiency of photosystem II [PSII] photochemistry) decrease 33% and 11% exposed to À16 C, respectively, compared with +4 C. Particularly at lower temperatures, wild mustard electrolyte leakage was smaller than that of chickpea; the temperature drop had a greater impact on the stems than the leaves. Per temperature degree drop from À12 to À20 C, the survival probability decreased by 12.5%.Wild mustard had a greater root dry matter (RDM) compared with chickpea plants.50% dry matter depression temperature (RDMT 50 ) could better distinguish among the species freezing response; wild mustard RDMT 50 was $1 C higher than chickpea.Plant survival and F v 0 /F m 0 correlation suggested the reliability of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements to assay plants freezing tolerance. The important contribution of a more powerful root system to wild mustard survival under adverse circumstances may be suggested by the positive association between plant survival and RDM. Higher tolerance of wild mustard to freezing stress ultimately leads to greater survival, regeneration, continued growth, and geographical distribution. Therefore, the wild mustard invasion will be possible in chickpea fields after freezing stress, especially in the cold climates and high-altitude regions.

Freezing stress response of wild and cultivated chickpeas

“…It hampers the growth, yield, and overall quality of various crop species ( Yadav, 2010 ; Zhu, 2016 ; Kaloki et al., 2019 ). Plants, being immobile organisms, have developed diverse physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms to counteract the effects of cold stress ( Akbari et al., 2023 ; Rastgoo et al., 2023 ). These mechanisms are finely tuned by a complex network of transcription factors and proteins, all working together to enhance a plant’s ability to withstand cold conditions.…”

“…It can be classified as chilling (<20°C) and freezing (<0°C) stress ( Chinnusamy et al., 2007 ), with freezing temperatures having adverse effects on plant development. Short duration exposure to freezing temperatures, even just a few hours, can affect any stage of plant growth such as germination, early and/or late vegetative development, or reproduction ( Devasirvatham et al., 2015 ; Kaloki et al., 2019 ; Li et al., 2022 ; Rastgoo et al., 2023 ). Moreover, freezing stress can influence physiological and biochemical processes in a manner that depends on the plant species, plant developmental stage, and length of the stress period ( Jian et al., 2020 ).…”

Feasibility study of cultivating desi‐type chickpea genotypes in cold and temperate regions

“…The difference between the climate conditions of the regions is a crucial factor in the difference between SU% in chickpea genotypes. Winter survival is the first and most important factor in the entrance of plants into the following vegetative and reproductive growth (Rastgoo et al, 2022). It plays an important role in the geographical distribution of plants (Hasanfard et al, 2021).…”

“…Winter survival is the first and most important factor in the entrance of plants into the following vegetative and reproductive growth (Rastgoo et al, 2022). It plays an important role in the geographical distribution of plants (Hasanfard et al, 2021).…”