Vernalization in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum); Fact or Artefact?

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Abstract
Various cool treatments of imbibing seeds reduced the subsequent times taken to flower in two genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). These reductions were greater in the kabuli cv. Rabat than in the desi accession ICC 5810. Nevertheless, in both genotypes, the hastening of flowering was entirely accounted for by the photothermal time accumulated during each cool temperature pretreatment, provided it was recognized that the ceiling photoperiods were approximately 10 and 8 h d−1, respectively; i.e. neither genotype shows a true vernalization response. A thorough reevaluation of ‘ responsiveness to vernalization’ in the chickpea germplasm might now be prudent.