Fig 1.
Experimental parameters measured during the assessment of chromium toxicity on chickpea (C. arietinum L.) germination and seedling establishment.
Data collected included germination metrics, growth characteristics, and biomass accumulation.
Fig 2.
Photographic illustration of chromium toxicity effects on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).
[a] Germination of varieties CM-72 (top) and CM-98 (bottom) at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100µM Cr. [b, c] Corresponding representative seedling growth for CM-72 and CM-98, respectively.
Fig 3.
Effect of varying chromium concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 µM) on Germination Rate (GR, %), Mean Germination Time (MGT, days), and Germination Index (GI) of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties (CM-72 and CM-96).
Values represent the mean ± standard error (SE). Least Significant Difference (LSD) values at p < 0.05 are indicated for comparing means within each parameter.
Fig 4.
Influence of chromium treatment on key growth metrics (Root Length, Shoot Length, Root Collar Diameter, Root:Shoot ratio) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).
Left panel: Variety CM-72. Right panel: Variety CM-98. Mean values are shown for control (0µM) and treatment groups (100µM).
Fig 5.
Variability and central tendency of key growth metrics (RL, SL, S.L, RCD, R:S) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties CM-72 and CM-98 under chromium stress (0-100 µM).
Boxplots visualize the distribution for each parameter, variety, and concentration. LSD values (p < 0.05) facilitate comparison of means. (Units as indicated on axes).
Fig 6.
Seedling biomass accumulation, measured as Fresh Weight (FW, g) and Dry Weight (DW, g), in two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties (CM-72 and CM-98) subjected to varying chromium concentrations (0-100 µM).
Data represent mean ± SE, with LSD values (p < 0.05) indicated for statistical comparison of means.
Fig 7.
Correlation analysis of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seedling traits.
The heatmap shows Pearson correlation coefficients (r) between all pairs of measured parameters, including germination, growth, and biomass metrics (units as indicated). Color intensity reflects the strength of the correlation.
Fig 8.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) biplot illustrating the relationships between measured chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) parameters and their contribution to the main axes of variation (PC1: 61.5%, PC2: 22.9%).
Vector positions reveal correlations among variables and their association with the principal components. Color indicates contribution strength (‘contrib’).