Effect of Weed Interference in Different Agronomic Managements on Grain Yield and Yield Components of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A field experiment was conducted in 2012 at the Agricultural Research Station of Motahari of Sabzevar¡ to determine the influence of different crop management practices and weed interference duration on grain yield and yield components of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). A split plot experiment was employed in randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plots consisted of three crop management practices (Low¡ Medium and High input levels) and sub plot of five weed interference duration (0 as control¡ 15¡ 30¡ 45 and 60 weedy days after chickpea emergence). The results showed weed density¡ weed dry weight and number of plants per pod were not affected by crop management practices¡ however¡ plant height¡ biological and economic yield were inflenced by crop management practices. High input level had the highest plant height¡ biological and economic yield. Increased interference reduced yield¡ number of plants per pod and number of branches per plant of chickpea. Yield loss after full-season weed competition (60 days interference) was 80.60% as compared to control. Although increasing of weed interference reduced weed density but weed dry weight was increased. Fitted logistic regression function coefficients showed that the onset of yield loss was earlier (24.5 days after emergence) at low input levels while at high input levels it was postponed to 26 days after emergence. It can be conducted that increasing interference duration would reduce yield and yield components of chickpea¡ but under high input conditions competitiveness of chickpea will be increased.