Abstract
Chickpea has a major role in the daily diet of the rural community and urban population as a good source of energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber and its straw is used for animal feed, and it also improves soil fertility by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen. Optimum plant density and appropriate genotypes for a given agro ecology influences plant size, yield components and ultimately the seed yield. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of intra and inter-row spacing on growth, yield and yield component of chickpea (Cicer aeritinum L.) Genotypes under rain fed condition in Huletegna Choroko, Southern Ethiopia in 2016 cropping season. A split-split plot design with three replications was used with two chickpea genotypes: Genotypes Habru and Mastewal were arranged in main plot and intra-row spacing of 5, 10 and 15 cm in sub-plot and inter-row spacing’s of 30, 40 and 50 cm in sub-sub plot. Days to flowering and hundred seed weight were significantly different between the two genotypes. Intra-row spacing had significantly affected physiological maturity, nodule dry weight plant-1, plant height, primary branch plant-1, pods plant-1, seeds pod-1, above ground biomass and seed yield. Inter row spacing also significantly affected days to flowering, days to physiological maturity, nodule number plant-1, nodule dry weight, plant height, primary branch, pod plant-1, seed number pod-1, above ground dry matter and seed yield. Mastewal genotype obtained the maximum (2.91 t ha-1) grain yield at the combination of 15 cm intra row and 30 cm inter row spacing while Habru genotype obtained (2.57 t ha-1) at the same intra and inter-row spacing. Finally it could be concluded that intra row spacing of 15 cm and inter row spacing of 30 cm were found to be the optimum for maximum grain yield of chickpea using genotype Mastewal and Habru at Halaba, Huletegna choroko.
Highlights
In Ethiopia, chickpea is mainly grown in the central, northern and eastern highland areas of the country at an altitude of 1400-2300 m.a.s.l., where annual rainfall ranges between 700 and 2000 mm [5]
This means that the duration of the time required for flowering of the genotype Mastewal was earlier in 1.72 days than genotype Habru
The result of the study showed the presence of significant differences between the two genotypes and inter-row spacing on days to flowering
Summary
In Ethiopia, chickpea is mainly grown in the central, northern and eastern highland areas of the country at an altitude of 1400-2300 m.a.s.l., where annual rainfall ranges between 700 and 2000 mm [5]. Locally known as shimbra, is one of the major pulse crops (including faba bean, field pea, haricot bean, lentil and grass pea) and in terms of production, it is the second most important legume crop after faba beans [27]. The crop has a major role in the daily diet of the rural community and poor sectors of urban population and its straw is used for animal feed. Chickpea fetch good price when sold in local market and generate cash to farmers. Chickpea plays a significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen and it meets up to 80% of its nitrogen (N) requirement from symbiotic nitrogen fixation and can fix up to 140 kg N ha-1 from air. Because of its deep tap root system, chickpea can withstand drought conditions by extracting water from deeper layers in the soil profile [19]
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