Comparative Study on the Performance of Coriander Genotypes under Receding Soil Moisture Regimes in Rainfed Vertisols

Abstract

Coriander is grown widely as a rainfed crop in India. Rainfed farming situation poses the serious problem of moisture stress during the crop growth period, which changes the crop phenology and severely affects grain yield. Understanding the behaviour of coriander under receding soil moisture regime helps to build strategies to improve the crop or manage the crop. Keeping this in view, a study was conducted to know the behavior of ten genotypes under two naturally receding soil moisture regimes (low lying and upland) in rainfed vertisols. Moisture stress (Stress index=0.36, moderate stress) affected the number of umbels, green leaves, biomass and yield, indicating the receding sink under mid-season moistures stress. Among the genotypes evaluated, LCC-150, LCC-143 and LCC-200 were tolerant and may be used in crop improvement programmes for developing drought tolerant varieties that are suitable for rainfed farming. Among several drought indices evaluated, KiSTI values can be utilized for successful discrimination of drought tolerant lines as these are clearly associated with performance of the genotypes in non-stressed and stressed conditions.  Physiological drought tolerant parameters were useful as genotypes ability to with stand drought could be attributed specific traits. The genotype LCC-143 was positively associated with high specific leaf weight, LCC-150 with low excised leaf water loss and rate of excised leaf water loss and LCC-200 with high Chlorophyll stability index and water potential of leaves. In view of the large swathes of rainfed areas in India, it is very important to focus on moisture stress related studies as two pronged approach to fight against drought and certain extreme events of climate change.