Effect of on-farm seed priming and supplementary irrigation on emergence rate, yield and yield components of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars

In order to investigate the effect of on-farm seed priming and supplementary irrigation on the emergence rate and yield of two chickpea cultivars, a field experiment was conducted in Hamedan as split plot factorial, in the randomized complete block design of three replications. Main plots were representative of three supplementary irrigation treatments (irrigation at flowering stage and irrigation at flowering and podding stages) and without irrigatiion treatment (rainfed), while subplots included combinations of chickpea cultivars (Azad and Hashem) and priming treatments (primed with water and no-primed). Of course the emergence rate was analyzed as factorial because of no-irrigation treatments. Results showed that emergence rate was increased about 31% in two chickpea cultivars under on-farm seed priming treatment. In other investigated traits (emergence percentage, number of seed per pod, number of pod per area, hundred grains weight, biological yield and grain yield) except harvest index, priming caused an considerable increase and the economic yield was increased about 13.5% in comparison to no-primed plots. Also supplementary irrigation especially at flowering and pudding stages improved most of the traits. In comparison of two cultivars, Azad had better reaction to supplementary irrigation. It seems that on-farm seed priming by improving chickpea stand establishment and yield components plus supplementary irrigation at reproductive stages could increase considerable rainfed chickpea production.