Abstract

Weeds are a serious obstacle to the production of chickpea. Imazethapyr (IM) herbicide is used to control weeds in most of the pulses, including chickpea. Mitotic abnormalities, chromosomal behavior, and protein content in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), due to IM treatment, were studied. The chickpea seeds (variety JG-11) were germinated in sterilized Petri dishes, 9 cm in diameter, on Whatman filter paper moistened with 10 ml of either Hoagland nutrient solution (control) or five concentrations of IM (0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 ppm). From the cytologic point of view, observations demonstrated that the mitotic frequency in root meristematic cells diminished, and that abnormality frequency increased parallel to the increase in concentrations of IM. The herbicide was highly mito-inhibitory and induced chromosomal irregularities, such as stickiness, lagging, scattering, and chromosome bridges. The endosperm and root-shoot axis’ protein content decreased with increasing of the herbicide concentration in all the treatments. It can be argued that IM produces undesirable side effects during mitosis in chickpea’s somatic cells and biochemical parameters. © 2020 Hoseiny-Rad and Aivazi.