Effect of Seed Size on Mitigating Adverse Effect of Drought Stress at Different Growth Stages of Kabuli Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes

This study was carried out in laboratory and field in Maragheh Dryland Agricultural Research Station. The field experiment was in split-split plots based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications performed for three cropping seasons (2010-2013). Drought stress levels as main plots were one time irrigation (immediately after planting), two times (after planting flowering) and three times (after planting flowering time pods filling), four chickpea genotypes (Arman, Azad, ILC 482 and a landrace from Turkey) were in sub plots and three seed sizes (large with > 8 mm, medium with 6-8 mm and small with