Effects of fall sowing dates and end of season drought stress on yield and yield components of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) in Saravan climate conditions

To study the effects of sowing date and end of season drought stress on yield and yield components of lentil, a field experiment was conducted as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with four replications in the Agricultural Research Station, Higher Educational Complex of Saravan during the growing season of 2015-2016. Experimental treatments were sowing date at three levels: November 5 and 20, and December 5, and drought stress at three levels: control (full irrigation), drought stress at flowering stage, and drought stress at podding stage. The cultivated genotype was the local mass of Sistan. Results showed that drought stress and sowing date levels had significant effects on seeds and pod per plant, 100- seed weight, grain and biological yield and harvest index. Interaction effect of drought stress and sowing date was significant on all studied traits. Full irrigation and November 5 sowing date increased all the studied traits. Moreover, drought stress during the flowering stage with delay in sowing date significantly decreased all studied traits. Due to high temperature, no yield was produced on December 5 sowing date.  The most correlation was observed between seed yield and harvest index (r= 0.89**), biological yield (r= 0.75**) and number of pods per plant (r= 0.76**). It was concluded that early sowing date (November5) and preventing drought stress during the critical stages of flowering and podding was important factors in increasing the yield of lentil in Saravan weather conditions.