Abstract Chickpea plants were inoculated with two
strains of Mesorhizobium ciceri: local strain (C-15) and
non-local strain (CP-36) in order to evaluate plant growth
parameters, activities of nitrogenase and antioxidant
enzymes under drought stress as well as control condition
within 15 days of imposition of drought stress. Biomass
production, nodulation, nitrogen fixation and antioxidant
enzyme activities under drought condition were compared.
Under control condition, symbiotic efficiency in symbiosis
formed by C-15 was higher than that in symbiosis derived
by CP-36. Although drought stress decreased shoot dry
weight, root dry weight, nodule dry weight and nitrogen
fixation in both symbioses, the rate of decline in plants
inoculated with CP-36 was higher than that in symbiosis
chickpea with C-15. Therefore, symbioses showed different
tolerance level under drought condition which was
essentially correlated with symbiotic performance at nonstressful
conditions. Under drought stress, nodular peroxidase
(POX) activity increased in both symbioses but was
higher in nodules produced by C-15. Ascorbate peroxidase
(APX) increased significantly in nodules of symbiosis of
chickpea with C-15. Catalase (CAT) and glutation reductase
(GR) declined in both symbioses which decline extent
in symbiosis with C-15 was lower than that in the nodules
of CP-36. These results suggested contribution of rhizobial
partner in enhancing the tolerance of symbioses to drought