Effect of sowing date and weed interference on chickpea seed quantitative and traits in genotypes under dryland conditions

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of sowing dates and weed interference on some qualitative and quantitative seed characteristics of chickpea cultivars. The experiment carried out as factorial split plot in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at research station of Kurdistan University in 2012-13. Sowing dates (autumn, Entezari and spring) and chickpea cultivars (Arman, Azad, Pirouz, ILC482 and Kaka) assigned to main plots as factorial and weed interferences (weeding and non-weeding) as subplots. Results showed that planting dates had significant effects on all studied traits. Weed competition resulted in severe reduction of seed number. In autumn sowing, weed interference reduced seed number by 78%. The reduction of seed numberswere77 and 99% in Entezari and spring sowing dates, respectively. Weed interference increased 100 seed weight as compared to weed free treatment. The highest seed yield observed in Entezari. ILC482 cultivar produced the highest seed yield (132.4 g/m-2). Under weed interference conditions,Kaka was the best grain yield. There was a significant difference between the cultivars for all seed quality traits, but ash, crude fiber and zinc content. The amount of phenolic compounds increased as growth period prolonged. The autumn and Entezari sowing dates were affected not only by cold stress but also encountered with more intense weed interference. Kaka had the highest amount of tannin.