Response of Chickpea Cultivars to Water Stress in a Semi-arid Environment

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The combined effect of soil moisture stress in the root zone and atmospheric evaporative demand on the growth and yield of two chickpea cultivars was investigated using four sowing dates and three irrigation regimes within each sowing date during the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons at the ICRISAT research centre. Total water use was different for different irrigation regimes and sowing dates and there were differences in the total dry weight and seed yield of chickpea between the sowing dates and the irrigation regimes. The cultivars did not differ in dry matter production. However, cv. Annigeri yielded more than cv. L-550 under all irrigation regimes. Differences in seed weight were observed between irrigation regimes and sowing dates and there were interactions between sowing dates and cultivars and between irrigation regimes, sowing dates and cultivars. High air temperatures during the period from flowering to maturity reduced the time to maturity of late-sown chickpea and led to reduced seed size and lower yields. The efficiency of use of applied water was also low for the late-sown crop.