The present study was carried out with ten chickpea genotypes sown under three salinity concentration (0 dSm-1 , 3 dSm-1 and 6 dSm-1 ). Days to 50 per cent flowering, days to physiological maturity, proline content, membrane injury index and total chlorophyll content at 60 days after sowing showed a strong positive association among each other. However, the degree of association decreased as the salinity levels increased from 0 dSm-1 to 6 dSm-1 . Further, seed yield and yield related traits was strongly associated with salinity concentrations. The results indicated that higher salt concentrations were associated with increase in duration of phenological parameters. The proline content and membrane injury index were significantly increased under salt stress conditions in all genotypes. Higher chlorophyll content and seed yields were recorded under 0dSm-1 (C1) than 3 dSm-1 and 6 dSm-1 (C2 and C3, respectively). Genotype ICCV96029 showed highest membrane injury index (14.51) and lowest seed yield value (3.28 g) at 6 dSm-1 . While, the genotypes JG11 recorded highest proline content (30.27 mg g-1 fr. wt) at 6 dSm-1 and chlorophyll content at 0 dSm-1 (2.979 mg g-1 fr. wt). This study indicated that developing genetic variability by identifying salt tolerant in diverse chickpea lines is one of the appropriate strategies used to overcome salinity problem in arid and semi-arid areas.

Keywords : Salinity, proline, salt tolerance.