Study on effect of super absorbent polymer application on yield and yield components of two chickpea cultivars under rainfed conditions

Provide theme of increase efficiency of agricultural water, is as the most logical approach of water resources management in arid and semi-arid regions. Super adsorbent polymers (hydrogel) application in rainfed agriculture is including strategies for achieve to this significant that not only improve the crop qualitative yield conditions, but can be causing a substantial increase in water use efficiency. In order to investigate the effect of hydrophilic polymer application on yield and yield components of two chickpea varieties in rainfed conditions, an experiment was conducted in 2011 at the Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan. The experimental design was split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Experiment treatment including three levels of hydrophilic polymer (H1: 0, H2: 150 and H3: 300 gr/m2) and two varieties (Jam and ILC482) were randomized to the main plot and sub plot, respectively. The results showed that all studied characteristics were affected by hydrophilic polymer, but chickpea cultivars, except on 100 grain weight and grain number in plant were not significant differences in other traits. highest grain yield (160.541 gr/m2) obtained in Jam cultuvar by applyind 300 gr/m2 polymer and lowest grain yield (71.276 gr/m2) obtained in ILC482 cultivar without polymer application. Super absorbent polymer apllication was caused to increase at pod number in plant, 100 grain weight, and biological yield compared to control.