Interrelationships among yield components of chickpea in semiarid environments

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed yield can be increased by identifying and managing the key yield components. A field study was conducted in southwestern Saskatchewan in 1999 and 2000 to determine the direct and indirect effects of various yield components on chickpea seed yield . Both desi- and kabuli-chickpea were planted at the target plant populations of 20, 30, 40, and 50 plants m-2 on conventional summerfallow (CS) and no-till wheat stubble (NT). Path coefficient analyses revealed that seed yield for both chickpea classes largely depended upon pods m-2 and seed weight, with the kabuli crop having higher coefficient values than the desi. These relationships were stronger when the pulses were grown on CS than on NT. Seeds pod-1 had a negative effect on seed yield for the kabuli crop, but this negative effect was counterbalanced by a strong, positive effect of seed weight on seed yield. The total pod production of the desi crop depended on plants m-2 more than on pods plant-1, whereas the pod production of the kabuli crop relied equally on plants m-2 and pods plant-1. For both chickpea classes, mean seed weight decreased with prolonged vegetative growth period regardless of tillage environment. Seed weight was positively related to the length of reproductive growth and seeds pod-1 only when the pulses were grown on CS. Seed yield potential of desi chickpea would be increased by increasing plant population to produce more pods per unit area, whereas the seed yield potential of kabuli chickpea would be increased by shortening the period of vegetative growth, promoting the number of pods per plant, and increasing mean seed weight. Key words: Cicer arietinum, yield components, plant density, seed weight, canopy, path analysis