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PULSE CROPS

Effect of Planting Date on Winter Kabuli Chickpea Growth and Yield under Rainfed Mediterranean Conditions

^a Dep. de Producción Vegetal y Tecnología Agraria, Univ. of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain
^b Dep. de Ciencias Agroforestales, Univ. of Huelva, Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain
^c Dep. de Ciencias Agroforestales, Univ. of Sevilla, Spain
^d Dep. de Ciencias y Recursos Agrícolas y Forestales, Univ. of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio C-4, Ctra. Madrid Km 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain

^* Corresponding author (cr1lobel{at}uco.es).

The stability of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) yield under rainfed Mediterranean conditions can be improved by winter planting of cultivars resistant or tolerant to Ascochyta blight [Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.]. A field study was conducted in southern Spain to evaluate the effect of different planting dates (late autumn, early winter, mid-winter and the traditional late winter planting date) on growth and yield for two chickpea cultivars: ‘Fardón’ (Ascochyta blight resistant) and the widely grown, local cv. ‘Pedrosillano’ (not Ascochyta resistant and with fungicide treatments applied). Grain yield for late autumn and early and mid-winter planting dates was between 50 and 80% greater compared to the traditional late winter planting date. The earliest two planting dates had no significant differences for yield. Rainfall during the growing season had a strong effect on biomass production and grain yield for all planting dates. The leaf area duration (LAD) index displayed a strong positive correlation with both dry matter production and grain yield, although variations in spring weather conditions prompted a year x planting date interaction. Plant density was the component most influencing yield; both plant density and pods plant^–1 were greater for earlier planting dates. ‘Fardón’ was less productive than ‘Pedrosillano’ (averaging 1.76 vs. 1.94 t ha^–1 over all planting dates, respectively). However, there was likely little profitability for Pedrosillano due to the fungicide applications.

Abbreviations: ICARDA, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas • ICRISAT, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics • LAD, leaf area duration • LAI, leaf area index • NARS, National Agricultural Research Systems • TDM, total dry matter • TSW, thousand seeds weight • WANA, West Asia and North Africa

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Received for publication August 13, 2007.