Effect of Abscisic acid Spraying on Yield and Yield Components of Chickpea under Rainfed and Supplementary Irrigation Conditions

In order to study the effect of spraying of abscisic acid on yield and yield components of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under rainfed and supplementary irrigation, a field experiment was conducted in 2010 in Agricultural Research Station of Ilam University. A split factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design was conducted. Main plots were composed of two levels of irrigation (rainfed and supplementary irrigation in pod formation stage). Also, abscisic acid treatments (0, 20 ppm) and cultivars (Azad & Bivanij) were assigned as factorial to sub plots. Results showed that supplementary irrigation leads to significant increase in yield, number of pods per plant, 100 grain weight and biomass yield. For other traits including length and width of pod, days to 50% flowering and days to 50% pod, cultivar was only effective and abscisic acid and supplementary irrigation had no significant effect on these traits. Under rainfed conditions, treated plants with abscisic acid had higher plant height, branch number per plant and number of pod per plant than control plants. Also, abscisic acid spraying led to significant increase in yield and biomass yield of rainfed conditions similar to supplementary irrigation conditions.