Physiological responses of chickpea cultivars to supplemental irrigation and super-absorbent polymer using under rainfed farming system

In order to investigate the physiological responses of chickpea cultivars to supplemental irrigation and super-absorbent polymer use, an experiment was conducted in 2015 using a split factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design in the research farm of Khorramabad Agricultural Research Center. Factors were supplemental irrigation times (without supplemental irrigation, irrigation in 50 percent of flowering and irrigation in 50 percent of seed filling) as main factor and cultivars (Arman, Azad and Greet) and super absorbent polymer (zero, 100 and 200 kg/ha) in the sub plots. The result showed that the supplemental irrigation and super absorbent polymer reduced soluble carbohydrates and seed protein and increased insoluble carbohydrates, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll. Supplemental irrigation in 50 percent of flowering satge increased 74 percent of seed yield compared to dry land condition. The highest seed yield, biological yield and harvest index were obtained from Greet cultivar with supplemental irrigation at 50 percent of flowering stage and application of 200 kg/ha super absorbent polymer, with the averages 2179 kg/ha, 4012 kg/ha and 54.3 percent, respectively. The results showed that at all levels of supplemental irrigation, the use of superabsorbent polymer improves plant growth conditions and, consequently, significantly increased seed yield. This will increase further by increasing the consumption of super absorbent polymer within supplementary irrigation.