The response of different rainfed Chickpea cultivars to changes in plant density in Khorramabad County
Subject Areas : Crop Production ResearchZeinab Biranvand 1 , Sajad Rahimi Moghadam 2 , Khosro Azizi 3 , Abdolmagid Sohailnejad 4
1 - M.SC. Graduate in Ecology, Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
3 - Professor, Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
4 - Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture, Payam-e Noor University, Iran
Keywords: 100-seed weight, Legumes, Optimal density, Regression,
Abstract :
Legumes are one of the most important sources of protein, minerals, and calories in the diet of people in developing countries. Chickpea is known as one of the most important legumes influenced by management and genetic factors. Accordingly, the current research aimed to assess the effect of planting density on improving economic yield and yield components of rainfed chickpea cultivars in Khorramabad County at the research farm of Lorestan University in 2023. Factorial arrangement of the treatments was set up as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors included plant density in five levels (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 plants per square meter) and cultivars in three levels (Adel, Saeed, and Mansour). Based on the obtained results, the interaction effect of density and cultivar on the distance of the first secondary branch from the ground, the distance of the first pod from the ground, the number of secondary branches, the number of pods per plant, the number of seeds in a pod, and the number of seeds per plant was significant at the level of 1% and was not on economic and biological yields and 100-seed weight. However, the simple effect of density was significant on economic and biological yields at the level of 5%. Also, the simple effect of cultivar was significant on economic and biological yields at the level of 5%. Based on the mean comparison, the highest economic yield (3390.5 kg/ha) was obtained at a density of 50 plants per square meter and the lowest (2678.3 kg/ha) at a density of 20 plants per square meter showing 26.6% superiority. By comparing the regression between economic yield and different densities for various cultivars, the best economic yield of Adel cultivar (3394 kg/ha) was obtained at a density of 44.98 plants per square meter (approximately 45). Also, the maximum economic yield for the Saeed cultivar (3264 kg/ha) was at a density of 59.83 plants per square meter (approximately 60), and for the Mansour cultivar (3430 kg/ha) at a density of 37.85 plants per square meter (approximately 38). Accordingly, the Mansour cultivar with a density of 40 plants per square meter is recommended for the growers in Khorramabad.