Copper Stress Affects Metabolism and Reproductive Yield of Chickpea

To observe the effects of copper (Cu) deficiency on growth, metabolism, and reproductive yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cv. ‘13.G-256’, plants were grown in refined sand at deficient (0.1 μM) and adequate Cu (1 μM), supplied as copper sulfate (CuSO₄·5H₂O). At d 35–40, at deficient Cu, the growth of plants were depressed and the young leaflets appeared reduced in size, chlorotic, with narrow pointed tips. The primary branches collapsed later, and secondary branches were stunted with reduced number of leaves. The flowering was disturbed, less flowers matured, as a consequence pods and seeds were reduced, malformed and low in productivity, which lowered biomass and economic yield and is accompanied by decrease in Cu concentration in leaves and seeds. The quality of seeds deteriorated at deficient Cu as the concentration of proteins, carbohydrates (sugars and starch), protein nitrogen were lowered, and phenols, non-protein nitrogen, increased. Whereas in leaves, the concentration of carbohydrates (sugars and starch), phenols, and non-protein nitrogen were elevated and protein nitrogen was reduced. Copper deficiency also alleviated the concentration of chlorophyll (a and b) in leaves. At deficient Cu, the activity of antioxidative enzyme viz. peroxidase along with that of acid phosphatase and ribonuclease increased in leaves, seeds and pod wall of chickpea.