ASSESSING HEAT STRESS TOLERANCE IN CICER ARIETINUM L. USING LEAF FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is increasingly affecting global crop productivity, with legumes such as chickpea -Cicer arietinum L., an important food and forage crop in arid and semi-arid regions, being particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures.This study investigates the effects of heat stress on key morphometric parameters of chickpea, including leaf size, leaf asymmetry, and stem height.The leaves' fluctuating asymmetry (FA) analysis to assess phenotypic variation in leaf morphology.FA is assessed as an indicator of developmental stability and resistance to heat stress.By identifying traits associated with heat tolerance, the results obtained facilitate the selection and breeding of more resilient chickpea genotypes, ultimately supporting efforts to maintain productivity under predicted climatic stresses.