Responses of Mungbean to Water Deficit, Water use Efficiency and Drought Resistance

Backround: Legumes are the second important agricultural crop of great prominence to humans. Among 20000 legume species the mungbean is one of the most important grain cultivated in India. Drought is a major environmental stress that affects mungbean in the sub-humid, dry and intermediate zones of India. The present study records the response of mung bean varieties to water stress during its growth stage. Methods: The impact of drought stress imposed on the crop was evaluated by measuring the water relation parameters and the biochemical progresses like osmolyte accumulation, nitrate assimilation and antioxidant system in Mung bean during 2017-2018 in Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore. Result: Drought stress altered the water status of the crop by reducing the RWC, which was enhanced in drought susceptible varieties. Increased amount of proline denotes the osmoregulatory mechanism in the crop to bring about resistance and the elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes shows the protective mechanism in the crop at cellular level.