Influence of Different Hydrogel Levels and Irrigation Scheduling on Leaf Protein Content of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present research focuses on optimizing the water use efficiency and enhancing crop quality in chickpea cultivation. Hydrogels, known for their water retention capabilities, can potentially mitigate the effects of water stress in arid and semi-arid regions by maintaining soil moisture levels. When combined with precise irrigation scheduling, the application of hydrogels may not only improve the growth and yield of chickpeas but also enhance their leaf protein content, a crucial nutritional parameter. The field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2021-22 at the Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, U.P. which is characterized by a semi-arid climate. The experiment utilized a randomized block design with combinations of four levels of hydrogel and two levels of irrigation across 11 treatments, each replicated three times. Protein content in chickpea leaves was estimated using Bradford's method, which is based on the binding of proteins to Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250. Results indicated that different levels of hydrogel application had a non-significant effect on the protein content of chickpea during both years. The highest protein content of protein content of 1.03, 1.07 and 1.05 was recorded in the treatment combination T10 during cropping year 2020, 2021 and in pooled respectively followed by treatment combination T9 and recorded protein content as 1.02, 1.02and 1.02 in both the years of investigation as well as in pooled respectively.