Seeding Date, Plant Density, and Cultivar Effects on Chickpea Yield and Seed Size in Eastern Oregon

Abstract

The effects of seeding chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars Dwelley and Sinaloa at different dates, row spacing, and rates were evaluated at the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center (CBARC) near Pendleton, OR. Highest seed yields and largest seeds were produced when both cultivars were seeded in early April. Delaying seeding until late April resulted in yield reductions of up to 6 lb/acre/day. Sinaloa produced significantly higher yields and larger seed than Dwelley at all the seeding dates. The optimum seeding rate for Sinaloa and Dwelley was 4.7 plants/ft2 and 3.4 plants/ft2, respectively. Dwelley produced higher yields in wider (12-inch) than in narrower (6-inch) rows and Sinaloa produced higher yields in narrower than wider rows. At the lowest plant population (2.1 plants/ft2), row spacing did not affect yields at all seeding dates. When seeded in early April, high chickpea yields were obtained when seeded in narrow rows at 3.4 plants/ft2 or in wider rows at 4.7 plants/ft2. Higher seeding rates increased yields in late seeded chickpeas when moisture was not limiting.