Yield and Yield Components of Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) as Influenced by Supplemental Irrigation under Semi-arid Region of Tunisia

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the research station of Higher Agriculture School of Kef located in a semi-arid region of to study the effect of supplemental irrigation on yield and yield components of four Tunisian chickpea genotypes (Beja 1, Bouchra, Neyer and Kasseb). Two supplemental irrigations were applied at the flowering and pod formation stages. Results showed a significant effect of supplemental irrigation on biological yield (BY/P), seed number per plant (SN/P), grain yield per plant (GY/P), 100-seed weight (100 SW), grain yield per m2 (GY/m2), harvest index (HI) and number of days to maturity (NDM). Grain yields under supplemental irrigation varied from 62.3 to 140.4 g/m2, and varied from 28.1 to 94.3 g/ m2 under the drought condition. The average 100-seeds weight reduction due to drought condition was 19.3 %. Results showed also that under rainfed condition, Bouchra and Nayer genotypes required minimum number of days to maturity (145.7 and 144.7 respectively). Drought susceptibility index (DSI) values for grain yield ranged from 0.67 to 1.39. Nayer was relatively drought resistant (DSI values <1). This genotypes proved high yielding and drought tolerant and can be incorporated in stress breeding programme for the development of drought tolerant chickpea varieties.