Promising eco-physiological traits for genetic improvement of cereal yields in Mediterranean environments

Breeding for improved productivity has been tremendously successful in the last half‐century, but needs to be even more efficient in the future. Hope based on contributions from molecular biology for improved yield potential seems to depend upon an improved knowledge of yield physiology. This knowledge may assist breeding either directly, recommending selection criteria, or indirectly identifying simpler traits that could be reliably mapped and selected for through marker‐assisted selection. Physiological traits associated with improved performance under water‐limited conditions, include phenology (that allows the crop to escape stresses) and those associated with improved water use, water use efficiency and partitioning. Undoubtedly, earliness has been the predominant trait improved for under Mediterranean conditions, and may not be a prospective trait for future breeding. Different traits that may confer the ability to the crop for capturing more water, such as deeper root systems or osmotic adjustment, may be unworkable in terms of their direct use in selection and surrogates would be needed. For instance, canopy temperature depression and discrimination against 13C may be used to assess improved ability to capture water (in these cases yield is positively related to discrimination against ¹³C in grains). Early vigour, which allows faster ground coverage, also increases the amount of water actually transpired by the canopy by reducing direct evaporation and presents substantial intraspecific variation, and selection for this trait may be successfully carried out either directly or through the use of vegetation indexes. Improved water use efficiency based on transpiration efficiency is largely restricted to conditions where additional water is not available. A constitutively low stomatal conductance or a high stomatal sensitivity may optimise the transpiration efficiency. In this context, discrimination against ¹³C is also a simple and reliable measure of water use efficiency, and in cases in which no major differences in capturing water is possible discrimination against ¹³C correlates negatively with yield. Substantial further improvements in partitioning may be limited in most cereals.     

A novel three-stage seaweed (Ulva lactuca) biofilter design for integrated mariculture

Seaweed biofilters have proven their usefulness in the treatment of fishpond effluents. However, their performance poses a dilemma: TAN (Total Ammonia N) uptake rate – and with it seaweed yield and protein content – is inversely proportional to TAN uptake efficiency. The ideal for a seaweed biofilter performance would be a high uptake rate together with high uptake efficiency. The novel three-stage seaweed biofilter design described here has solved this dilemma. The design used the finding that the performance of seaweed ponds depended on the flux of TAN through them, and that therefore effluents with reduced TAN concentration could provide the seaweed with a high TAN flux if the water flow increased proportionally. Effluents from a seabream fishpond were passed through a series of three successively smaller (25, 12.5 and 6.25 m², respectively) air-agitated Ulva lactuca ponds. The diminished inflow TAN concentrations to the second and third ponds of the biofilter system were compensated for by the increased water exchange rates, inversely proportional to their sizes. The biofilter performance was evaluated under several TAN loads. TAN was efficiently removed (85–90%), at a high areal rate (up to 2.9 g N m^-2 d^-1) while producing high protein U. lactuca (up to 44% dw) in all three stages, although with mediocre yields (up to 189 g fresh m^-2 d^-1). Performance of each seaweed biofilter pond correlated not with TAN concentration, but with areal TAN loads. The novel three-stage design provides significant functional and economic improvements in seaweed biofiltration of intensive fishpond water.     

Exploration of relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance of rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) seedlings under salinity stress using multivariate analysis

Knowledge of relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance of seedlings and respective genotypic differences would permit selection of salt tolerance at early growth stages. The goals of this study were to investigate the relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance and quantify the respective genotypic differences using multivariate analysis.. Plants of thirty-one genotypes were grown in sand tanks in a greenhouse and irrigated with Yoshida nutrient solution. Two salinity treatments were imposed at 0.9 dSm^–1 (control) and 6.4 dSm^–1 with sodium chloride and calcium chloride (~ 6: 1 molar ratio). Seedlings were sampled 34 days after planting (7^th to 8^th leaf stage). The characters of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, K-Na selectivity (SK,Na) and Na-Ca selectivity (S_Na,Ca) were measured as physiological parameters. The characters of tiller number, leaf area, plant height and shoot dry weight were measured as growth performance. Under salinity stress, S_K,Na increased whereas S_Na,Ca decreased compared to the controls. Canonical correlation analysis indicates a strong relationship between physiological parameters and growth performance. Tiller number is a desirable parameter among the growth parameters analyzed to predict seedling growth under salinity stress. Genotypes grouped into four clusters based on ion contents and ion selectivity using Wards minimum-variance cluster analysis. S_K,Na and shoot Na⁺ content contributed the most to the cluster formation. Similarly, genotypes grouped into four clusters based on growth performance. Ge notypes were classified into three categories based on ion cluster rankings: Category 1 with high S_K,Na and low shoot Na⁺ content; Category 2 with intermediate S_K,Na and shoot Na⁺ content; Category 3 with low S_K,Na and high shoot Na⁺ content. The classification of the genotypes into Categories 1 and 3 based on their high or low S_K,Na was generally consistent with their growth performance under salt stress. In contrast, ion selectivity was a less dominant mechanism controlling salt tolerance in Category 2 with intermediate S_K,Na. It was concluded that ion selectivity was a relatively dominant mechanism controlling salt tolerance among rice genotypes although multiple mechanisms may be involved under moderate salt stress. The results also provide the first example of the effectiveness of cluster analysis for physiological responses to salinity stress.     

Diagnostics of plasma produced by femtosecond laser pulse impact upon a target with an internal nanostructure

X-ray diagnostics of the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with intensities of 10¹⁶–10¹⁸ W/cm² with CO₂ clusters and frozen nanosize water particles is carried out. The stage of cluster expansion and the formation of a plasma channel, which governs the parameters of the formed X-ray radiation source and accelerated ion flows, is studied. The measurements are based on recording spatially resolved X-ray spectra of H- and He-like oxygen ions. Utilization of Rydberg transitions for spectra diagnostics makes it possible to determine plasma parameters on a time scale of t ∼ 10 ps after the beginning of a femtosecond pulse. The role of the rear edge of the laser pulse in sustaining the plasma temperature at a level of ∼100 eV in the stage of a nonadiabatic cluster expansion is shown. The analysis of the profiles and relative intensities of spectral lines allows one to determine the temperature and density of plasma electrons and distinguish the populations of “thermal” ions and ions that are accelerated up to energies of a few tens of kiloelectronvolts. It is shown that the use of solid clusters made of frozen nanoscale water droplets as targets leads to a substantial increase in the number of fast He-like ions. In this case, however, the efficiency of acceleration of H-like ions does not increase, because the time of their ionization in plasma exceeds the time of cluster expansion.     

MOF@Au NPs/aptamer fluorescent probe for the selective and sensitive detection of thiamethoxam

The luminescence performance of fluorescent reagents plays a crucial role in fluorescence analysis. Therefore, in this study, a novel bi-ligand Zn-based metal–organic framework, Au nanoparticle (NP) fluorescent material was synthesized using a hydrothermal method with Zn as the metal source. Simultaneously, a DNA aptamer was introduced as a molecular recognition element to develop a Zn-based MOF@Au NPs/DNA aptamer fluorescent probe for the ultra-trace detection of thiamethoxam residues in agricultural products. The probe captured different concentrations of the target molecule, thiamethoxam, through the DNA aptamer, causing a conformational change in the DNA aptamer and bursting the fluorescence of the probe, therefore establishing a fluorometric method for thiamethoxam detection. This method is highly sensitive due to the excellent luminescence properties of the Zn-based MOF@Au NPs, and the DNA aptamer can specifically recognize thiamethoxam, offering high selectivity. The linear range of the method was 2.5–6000 × 10⁻¹¹ mol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 8.33 × 10⁻¹² mol L⁻¹. This method was applied to the determination of actual samples, such as bananas, and the spiked recovery rate was found to be in the range 84.05–109.07%. Overall, the proposed probe has high sensitivity, high selectivity, and easy operation for the detection of thiamethoxam residues in actual samples.     

京津冀城市群用水效率及其与城市化水平的关系

深入分析京津冀城市群用水效率与城市化水平的相互关系,揭示不同城市城市化水平对水资源利用效率的影响,有助于缓解水资源短缺问题。结合超效率数据包络模型,定量分析了京津冀城市群不同行业的用水效率,从人口、经济、社会与土地等不同城市化角度,全面分析了城市发展水平与生活、工业、农业三大行业用水效率之间的相互关系。主要结论为:(1)2006—2015年,京津冀城市群生活和工业用水效率总体上略微下降,而农业用水效率明显上升;不同城市之间存在明显差别,唐山、衡水与沧州市各行业用水效率均较高,邯郸和邢台市各行业用水效率均偏低。(2)城市发展水平对不同行业用水效率的影响存在明显差异。城市化水平的提升可以显著提高生活用水效率,但对工业和农业用水效率具有不同程度的负向影响。综合用水效率仅受到经济城市化的显著影响,相关系数达0.19,表明提高用水效率的关键是进一步调整经济产业结构。(3)城市化水平与用水效率梯度的匹配状态较差。一方面,京津冀13个城市中达到匹配的城市仅有4个,占京津冀城市总数的30.77%,匹配程度较低。另一方面,不存在城市化水平和用水效率双高型的城市,匹配层次较低。综上所述,针对京津冀城市化发展与用水效率的失衡关系,应审视水资源投入产出结构并尝试行业联动等节水发展模式。     

水深对塘堰湿地水力性能的影响

塘堰湿地因其良好的生态性能而被广泛用于水稻灌区的排水净化,由于湿地的水力性能及净化效果受到诸多因素影响,客观认识这些因素的作用机理有助于提高湿地设计和运行管理的质量.本文通过示踪剂试验探讨了不同水深（20、40、60 cm）对塘堰湿地水力特性的影响.结果表明： 随着湿地水深的减小,湿地的有效容积率从0.421增加到0.844,水力效率从0.281增加到0.604;在水深较小时（20和40 cm）,湿地前半部分的有效容积率达到0.9以上,明显优于湿地整体情况,湿地前半部分的水流混合情况高,接近于完全混合流.通过对原始示踪曲线的标准化分析发现,矩分析参数与水力参数有较好的数值一致性,水力参数与不受尾部截断误差影响的矩指数之间具有良好的一致性.塘堰湿地水深较小时有利于提高湿地的水力性能,试验结果可为今后塘堰湿地的优化设计提供参考.     

Molecular simulation for the effect of electric fields on the yield behaviour and cracking process of insulation paper

In operation, the insulation paper used for transformers is subject to electric stress. This paper may deteriorate as a result of the accumulation of mechanical stress and the polarisation of the electric field. The effect of electric fields on insulation paper is typically investigated through macroscopic tests; thus, the microscopic mechanism must be explored further. In this study, single- and multi-chain cellulose models were constructed to simulate the yield behaviour of cellulose under a strong electric field (10¹⁰ V m^? 1) through molecular dynamics. The cracking process of insulation paper was also examined according to density functional theory. Results indicated that both single- and multi-chain celluloses yield under a strong electric field. This yield behaviour is consistent with that of the electric field, and it eventually breaks the cellulose chains. The energy gap between the lowest unoccupied and the highest occupied molecular orbitals suggested that cellulose molecules may encounter insulation breakdown at an electric field strength of 10⁵ V m^? 1. Furthermore, the initial fracture in the molecular chain of cellulose was observed under the weakest glycosidic bond.     

Control of Mesoscale Morphology and Photovoltaic Performance in Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Based Small Band Gap Terpolymers

Morphology control is one of the key strategies in optimizing the performance of organic photovoltaic materials, particularly for diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)‐based donor polymers. The design of DPP‐based polymers that provide high power conversion efficiency (PCE) presents a significant challenge that requires optimization of both energetics and morphology. Herein, a series of high performance, small band gap DPP‐based terpolymers are designed via two‐step side chain engineering, namely introducing alternating short and long alkyls for reducing the domain spacing and inserting alkylthio for modulating the energy levels. The new DPP‐based terpolymers are compared to delineate how the side chain impacts the mesoscale morphology. By employing the alkylthio‐substituted terpolymer PBDPP‐TS, the new polymer solar cell (PSC) device realizes a good balance of a high V _oc of 0.77 V and a high J _sc over 15 mA cm^?2, and thus realizes desirable PCE in excess of 8% and 9.5% in single junction and tandem PSC devices, respectively. The study indicates better control of domain purity will greatly improve performance of single junction DPP‐based PSCs toward 10% efficiency. More significantly, the utility of this stepwise side chain engineering can be readily expanded to other classes of well‐defined copolymers and triggers efficiency breakthroughs in novel terpolymers for photovoltaic and related electronic applications.     

Variables Influencing Extraction of Nucleic Acids from Microbial Plankton (Viruses,Bacteria, and Protists) Collected on Nanoporous Aluminum Oxide Filters

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) filters have high porosity and can be manufactured with a pore size that is small enough to quantitatively capture viruses. These properties make the filters potentially useful for harvesting total microbial communities from water samples for molecular analyses, but their performance for nucleic acid extraction has not been systematically or quantitatively evaluated. In this study, we characterized the flux of water through commercially produced nanoporous (0.02 μm) AAO filters (Anotop; Whatman) and used isolates (a virus, a bacterium, and a protist) and natural seawater samples to test variables that we expected would influence the efficiency with which nucleic acids are recovered from the filters. Extraction chemistry had a significant effect on DNA yield, and back flushing the filters during extraction was found to improve yields of high-molecular-weight DNA. Using the back-flush protocol, the mass of DNA recovered from microorganisms collected on AAO filters was ≥100% of that extracted from pellets of cells and viruses and 94% ± 9% of that obtained by direct extraction of a liquid bacterial culture. The latter is a minimum estimate of the relative recovery of microbial DNA, since liquid cultures include dissolved nucleic acids that are retained inefficiently by the filter. In conclusion, we demonstrate that nucleic acids can be extracted from microorganisms on AAO filters with an efficiency similar to that achievable by direct extraction of microbes in suspension or in pellets. These filters are therefore a convenient means by which to harvest total microbial communities from multiple aqueous samples in parallel for subsequent molecular analyses.     

Detection of metronidazole in honey and metronidazole tablets using carbon dots‐based sensor via the inner filter effect

In this work, carbon dots (CDs) with a high quantum yield (22.3%) were easily prepared by hydrothermal pyrolysis of acid fuchsin 6B and hydrogen peroxide at 180°C for 10 h. The resultant CDs possess a narrow size distribution in the range of 2.6 to 3.2 nm and emit blue fluorescence. Interestingly, the absorption band of metronidazole (MTZ) centered at 318 nm can complementary overlap with the excitation band of the as‐prepared CDs centered at 320 nm, resulting in an inner filter effect (IFE) in high efficiency. In fact, the fluorescence quenching of the CDs depends on the concentration of MTZ. Therefore, a simple method for the detection of MTZ can be established using the CDs‐based sensor via the IFE. The linear range of the proposed method was 0–10 μg mL^?1 with the limit of detection as low as 0.257 μg mL^?1. This CDs‐based sensor had been applied for the detection of MTZ in honey and MTZ tablets with the recoveries in the range of 98.0% to 105.1% and 95.7% to 106.5%, respectively. Therefore, the as‐prepared CDs have a potential to be developed as a MTZ sensor with high selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy.     

Removal of Cr6+ from groundwater using zero-valence iron in the laboratory

Abstract

In this paper, we describe a series of laboratory experiments which quantify the rate of Cr⁶⁺ reduction by Fe⁰. The main goal of these experiments was to determine the removal efficiency of Cr⁶⁺ by iron. The results indicate that Fe⁰ reduces Cr⁶⁺ to Cr³⁺ under alkaline and slightly acidic conditions. The removal efficiency rises with an increase of the initial concentration of Cr⁶⁺ (1 mg/L to 10 mg/L) when the quantity of Fe⁰ is stable. The removal efficiency increases as the quantity of Fe⁰ is raised when other conditions are constant. The removal efficiency would not be affected by other inorganic ions unless they were present at very high concentrations. When the initial concentration Cr⁶⁺ is 10mg/L and pH is 6.5–7.7, the final concentration of Cr⁶⁺ in effluent is less than 0.05 mg/L and the total Fe is less than 0.3 mg/L in effluent.     

A process-orientated design and performance assessment methodology for passive mine water treatment systems

The aim of this paper is the development of a methodology for assessing the iron removal efficiency of passive mine water treatment settling lagoons and reed beds. Previous work in the design and sizing of coal mine drainage lagoons and wetlands has focussed on the use of standard hydraulic residence times or using the 10 g m⁻² d⁻¹ metric, these criteria have been applied without regard to the fundamental physical and chemical processes controlling iron removal in the system, namely the pH dependent rates of Fe(II) oxidation and physical settling of the particulate Fe(III). In this study field water quality data have been collected from lagoons and reed beds. These data are examined alongside data from the UK Coal Authority database and combined with simple mathematical formulations to provide a framework through which to understand passive treatment schemes from a process-orientated perspective. It is demonstrated that for the sites studied reed beds are more efficient for iron removal. This paper recommends that judgements of iron removal performance should be based on a derived treatment efficiency index (?) and that the modelling approach espoused in this paper should be used when designing passive mine water treatment schemes.     

一种高效的植物DNA提取和PCR扩增体系建立

报道一种高效简易的植物DNA提取和PCR扩增体系。该体系仅需一步即可提取DNA,扩增时延长PCR预变性时间便能获得较好的目的基因扩增结果。本体系具有较高的实验稳定性和较好的物种适用性,将大大提高植物分子生物学实验和基于分子标记辅助的植物育种实验效率,节省科研成本。     

Feasibility of methods based on nucleic acid amplification techniques to fulfil the requirements for microbiological analysis of water quality

Molecular methods based on nucleic acid recognition and amplification are valuable tools to complement and support water management decisions. At present, these decisions are mostly supported by the principle of end‐point monitoring for indicators and a small number of selected measured by traditional methods. Nucleic acid methods show enormous potential for identifying isolates from conventional culture methods, providing data on cultivable and noncultivable micro‐organisms, informing on the presence of pathogens in waters, determining the causes of waterborne outbreaks, and, in some cases, detecting emerging pathogens. However, some features of water microbiology affect the performance of nucleic acid‐based molecular techniques and thus challenge their suitability for routine water quality control. These features include the variable composition of target water samples, the generally low numbers of target micro‐organisms, the variable water quality required for different uses and the physiological status or condition of such micro‐organisms. The standardization of these molecular techniques is also an important challenge for its routine use in terms of accuracy (trueness and precision) and robustness (reproducibility and reliability during normal usage). Most of national and international water regulations recommend the application of standard methods, and any new technique must be validated respect to established methods and procedures. Moreover, molecular methods show a high cost‐effectiveness value that limits its practicability on some microbial water analyses. However, new molecular techniques could contribute with new information or at least to supplement the limitation of traditional culture‐based methods. Undoubtedly, challenges for these nucleic acid‐based methods need to be identified and solved to improve their feasibility for routine microbial water monitoring.     

Strategy for surveying the proteome using affinity proteomics and mass spectrometry

Antibody‐based microarrays is a rapidly evolving technology that has gone from the first proof‐of‐concept studies to more demanding proteome profiling applications, during the last years. Miniaturized microarrays can be printed with large number of antibodies harbouring predetermined specificities, capable of targeting high‐ as well as low‐abundant analytes in complex, nonfractionated proteomes. Consequently, the resolution of such proteome profiling efforts correlate directly to the number of antibodies included, which today is a key limiting factor. To overcome this bottleneck and to be able to perform in‐depth global proteome surveys, we propose to interface affinity proteomics with MS‐based read‐out, as outlined in this technical perspective. Briefly, we have defined a range of peptide motifs, each motif being present in 5–100 different proteins. In this manner, 100 antibodies, binding 100 different motifs commonly distributed among different proteins, would potentially target a protein cluster of 10⁴ individual molecules, i.e. around 50% of the nonredundant human proteome. Notably, these motif‐specific antibodies would be directly applicable to any proteome in a specie independent manner and not biased towards abundant proteins or certain protein classes. The biological sample is digested, exposed to these immobilized antibodies, whereby motif‐containing peptides are specifically captured, enriched and subsequently detected and identified using MS.     

Excellent Comprehensive Performance of Na‐Based Layered Oxide Benefiting from the Synergetic Contributions of Multimetal Ions

Na‐ion batteries are promising for large‐scale energy storage applications, but few cathode materials can be practically used because of the significant difficulty in synthesizing an electrode material with superior comprehensive performance. Herein, an effective strategy based on synergetic contributions of rationally selected metal ions is applied to design layered oxides with excellent electrochemical performances. The power of this strategy is demonstrated by the superior properties of as‐obtained NaFe_0.45Co_0.5Mg_0.05O₂ with 139.9 mA h g^?1 of reversible capacity, 3.1 V of average voltage, 96.6% of initial Coulombic efficiency, and 73.9 mA h g^?1 of capacity at 10 C rate, which benefit from the synergetic effect of Fe³⁺ (high redox potential), Co³⁺ (good kinetics), and inactive Mg²⁺ with compatible radii (stabilizing structure). Moreover, it is clarified that the superior property is not the simple superposition of performance for layered oxides with single metal ions. With the assistance of density functional theory calculations, it is evidenced that the wide capacity range (>70%) of prismatic Na⁺‐occupied sites during sodiation/desodiation is responsible for its high rate performance. This rational strategy of designing high‐performance cathodes based on the synergetic effect of various metal ions might be a powerful step forward in the development of new Na‐ion‐insertion cathodes.     

A Porphyrin/Graphene Framework: A Highly Efficient and Robust Electrocatalyst for Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Developing immobilized molecular complexes, which demonstrate high product efficiencies at low overpotential in the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ in aqueous media, is essential for the practical production of reduction products. In this work, a simple and facile self‐assembly method is demonstrated by electrostatic interaction and π–π stacking for the fabrication of a porphyrin/graphene framework (FePGF) composed of Fe(III) tetraphenyltrimethylammonium porphyrin and reduced liquid crystalline graphene oxide that can be utilized for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO on a glassy carbon electrode in aqueous electrolyte. The FePGF results in an outstanding robust catalytic performance for the production of CO with 97.0% faradaic efficiency at an overpotential of 480 mV and superior long‐term stability relative to other heterogeneous molecular complexes of over 24 h (cathodic energy efficiency: 58.1%). In addition, a high surface area carbon fiber paper is used as a substrate for FePGF catalyst, resulting in enhanced current density of 1.68 mA cm^?2 with 98.7% CO faradaic efficiency at an overpotential of 430 mV for 10 h, corresponding to a turnover frequency of 2.9 s^?1 and 104 400 turnover number. Furthermore, FePGF/CFP has one of the highest cathodic energy efficiencies (60.9%) reported for immobilized metal complex catalysts.     

Exploration of Distinct Physiological and Biochemical Alterations in Chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) under Varying Organic Materials,Drought and Proline Application

Chickpea yield is decreasing day by day due to drought stress, which could be an immense risk for future food security in developing countries. Management practices could be the most excellent approach to diminish loss due to this abiotic factor. The current research work was designed to explore the tolerance reaction of chickpea genotypes against management practices, through morphological and biochemical parameters and evaluate yield performance across drought prone location of Bangladesh. Four genotypes BD-6048, BD-6045, BD-6090, BD-6092 and eight management practices, e.g., severe water stress (SWS), i.e., without irrigation, 10 cm thick mulching with rice straw (MRS), 10 cm thick mulching with water hyacinth (MWH), organic amendment through compost (OAC) @ 3 t ha⁻¹, organic amendment through cow dung @ 5 t ha⁻¹ (OACD), organic amendment through poultry manure @ 2 t ha⁻¹ (OAPM), inorganic amendment through proline application (IAPA) as foliar spray and 16 h hydro-priming (HP). The study revealed that the genotypes BD-6048 showed excellent performance because of the highest chlorophyll, carotenoids, phosphorus, potassium, proline and protein content. The highest pod number plant⁻¹ also increased seed yield in BD-6048. Considering management practices, IAPA increased relative water content, carotenoids, leaf phosphorus and potassium compared to other management practices and severe water stress. Finally, BD-6084 was selected as best genotype because of a significant increase in chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, and relative water content with IAPA. Identified top performing genotypes can be used for releasing variety and cultivated for sustainable production in drought prone area of Bangladesh.     

Genetic engineering of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with the P5CSF129A gene for osmoregulation with implications on drought tolerance

Abiotic stresses including water deficit severely limits crop yields in the semi-arid tropics. In chickpea, annual losses of over 3.7 million tones have been estimated to be due to water deficit conditions alone. Therefore, major efforts are needed to improve its tolerance to water deficit, and genetic engineering approaches provide an increasing hope for this possibility. We have used transgenic technology for the introduction of an osmoregulatory gene P5CSF129A encoding the mutagenized Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) for the overproduction of proline. A total of 49 transgenic events of chickpea were produced with the 35S:P5CSF129A gene through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated gene transfer through the use of axillary meristem explants. Eleven transgenic events that accumulated high proline (2–6 folds) were further evaluated in greenhouse experiments based on their transpiration efficiency (TE), photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance, and root length under water stress. Almost all the transgenic events showed a decline in transpiration at lower values of the fraction of transpirable soil water (dryer soil), and extracted more water than their untransformed parents. The accumulation of proline in the selected events was more pronounced that increased significantly in the leaves when exposed to water stress. However, the overexpression of P5CSF129A gene resulted only in a modest increase in TE, thereby indicating that the enhanced proline had little bearing on the components of yield architecture that are significant in overcoming the negative effects of drought stress in chickpea.