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T.S. Sandhu
Is there any technique available which is nondestructive to assess the nodulation
capacity of the chickpea plant? If so, it may be utilized in breeding for
high nodulating genotypes with a given efficient and effective strain of Rhizobium
as there is specificity between Rhizobiuni strains and host genotype.
R. Islam
Nondestructive techniques (Allontoin technique) are available for determining
high nodulating ability for some crops, likt soybean. Efforts are being
made to use this for chickpeas. The last three years' research at ICARDA with
chickpea has indicated that high and low nodulating character is very unstable,
i.e. possibly not controlled by the host plant. It will be more appropriate to
screen strains of Rhizobium which will be suitable to produce effective nodulation
for a large number of cultivars.
P. Cooper
Does chickpea total drymatter production (as presented in many of your
tables) reflect yield? How stable is harvest index (HI) for chickpea?
R. Islam
No, HI is not stable due to (a) disease and (b) stress factors during flowering.
N. Haddad
Since you find that Tribunil is reducing the nodulation, did you measure any
reduction in yield due to the effect of this herbicide?
R. Islam
Yes, we measured the amount of yield loss caused by Tribunil. Tribunil
actually reduces yield. But the effect of the herbicide was more pronounced on
nodi!!ation than on grain yield.