Screening of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) Genotypes against Water Stress Mediated through Polyethylene Glycol

Plants are subjected to various abiotic stresses like drought, salinity; heat, temperature; cold and water logging have adverse effect on crop productivity and causes severe agriculture losses predominantly in arid and semi-arid tropic region like India (Abdul et al., 2006) and (Rodriguez et al., 2005). Of these stresses, drought is one of the major abiotic stresses which limits the crop production. Water stress limits plant survival and early seedling growth by delaying its beginning or decreasing the final germinability (Gamze et al., 2005). Seed germination and early seedling growth are considered as most critical phases for seed establishment, determining successful crop production. Mungbean (Vigna radiata. L) is a major pulse crop of Asia after chickpea and pigeonpea.