Responses of Yield and Yield Components of Chickpea Cultivars (Cicer arietinum L.) to Supplemental Irrigation in Different Phenology Stages

In order to investigate the effects of different irrigation regimes on yield and yield components of three chickpea cultivars, an experiment was conducted during the 2007 growing season at Mashhad. Six irrigation regimes including I1= full irrigation, I2= irrigation at branching, I3= irrigation at flowering, I4= irrigation at pod formation, I5= irrigation at seed filling stage, and I6=dry farming without irrigation(main factors). Three kabuli chickpea cultivars ILC482,Jam, Karaj 12-60-31as (sub factors) in a split block experiment based on randomized block design with three replications. There were significant differencese between supplemental irrigation levels on yield and yield components of chickpea cultivars. The results showed that the supplemental irrigation at flowering had significant higher grain yield (1732 kg/ha), pod number in main and substems, grain number and weight in plant and 100 grain weight, compared to other irrigation regimes. All traits exclude of pod number in main and substems were higher in full irrigation than supplemental irrigation regimes. ILC482 and Karaj 12-60-31 cultivars had the highest and lowest grain and biological yields and harvest index respectively.Grain yield had significant positive correlation With Seed filling rate (r =0/081**)and effective seed filling period (r =0/79**). Grain weight had the highest significant positive correlation (r =0/75**) with grain yield. The results showed taht the flowering stage in chickpea cultivars is the most sensitive stage to drought stress and in deficit water condition supplemental irrigation in this stage may considerably increases yield of chickpea. In tolerance to drought stress and supplemental irrigation conditions ILC482 cultivar was better compared to other cultivars.