Planting Date and Temperature Effects on Germination, Emergence, and Seed Yield of Chickpea

Abstract

AbstractCommercial production of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington was initiated in 1981. Since the cool springs and short growing season of this area limit the adaptation of chickpea, field and laboratory studies evaluating 10 chickpea lines were conducted to optimize the planting date of this new pulse crop. Laboratory germination and radicle elongation of the 10 lines at 5, 13, and 20 °C were compared to field emergence and seedling growth at Moscow, ID, on a Palouse silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Pachic Ultic Haploxeroll) during 1982 and 1984. The 10 lines were also planted in late April, early May, and late May to determine the effect of planting date on yield components and seed yield. Greatest germination and radicle elongation of all 10 lines occurred at 20 °C. At 5 °C, less than half of the seed germinated within 7 d, and radicle elongation was less than 4% of that observed at 20 °C. The 10 lines did not differ in their ability to germinate under cold conditions in the laboratory. Under field conditions of 1984, the Desi lines with pigmented testa showed a higher percentage of emergence than the non‐pigmented Kabuli lines. Seedling dry weight accumulation was most rapid in the large seeded Kabuli seedlings and slowest in the smaller seeded Desi seedlings. Planting in late April produced higher seed yields than planting in late May (34 and 5% in 1982 and 1984, respectively). However, seedling emergence was slower at the early planting date. These results indicate that chickpea grown in areas with cool climates such as northern Idaho should be planted in the early spring when average soil temperatures exceed 13 °C to insure optimum seed yield.