The experiment was conducted at Screen House of University of Science and Technology Bannu. Two soil types (Sandy, clay soil) as growth media and in order to evaluate salinity impacts four saline levels (0, 50, 100, & 150) mM were used. Four chickpea genotypes named Bhakar-2011, Thall-2006, Noor-2009 and Noor-2013 were selected from Chickpea Research Station Ahmadwala, Karak. The above-mentioned chickpea genotypes were primed with CaCl₂ (50 mM) solution for 12 hours at 25 ^oC, while dry seeds of same genotypes were used as control. The pots were irrigated with a half-strength Hoagland solution after every 3rd day. When the chickpea seedling reached to V3 stage in pots, salt stress was applied. In comparison of soil types, sandy soil had high shoot, root fresh weight, shoot, root dry weight, high shoot to root dry weight ratio, shoot Na⁺ and K⁺ concentration, shoot Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, root Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, proline and chlorophyll as compared to clay soil. Primed seeds had lengthy shoots, roots, maximum shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight and their dry weights, more K⁺ in shoot and root, and chlorophyll. Sodium chloride at the rate of 150 mM had increased shoot to root dry weight ratio, shoot & root Na⁺ and K⁺ concentration, root & shoot Na⁺/K⁺ ratios, and increase in proline content. Chickpea Thall-2006 had high shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight and root Na⁺ concentration. It is concluded that chickpea genotype Thall-2006 showed better performance under high salt stress when primed with calcium chloride in sandy soil.

Index Terms- Calcium Chloride, NaCl stress, Sand, Clay, Cicer arietinum, Performance