Monday, November 13, 2006 - 10:45 AM
56-10

Relationship between Seed Yield and Climatic Factors in Chickpea.

Rajendra Malhotra, Murari Singh, and Sanjaya Rajaram. ICARDA, ICARDA, PO Box 5466, Aleppo, SYRIA

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the important food legumes grown in Mediterranean environments as a rainfed crop. In dry areas, its yield is influenced by various agro-climatic factors.  The information on response of climatic factors influencing chickpea production is limited, thus, the present study was envisaged to identify most influential climatic variables influencing seed yield.  The yield data collected from 21 Chickpea International Yield Trials, each comprising 24 genotypes, conducted over a wide range of geographical areas of Central and West Asia, and North Africa (CWANA) were analyzed. The climatic variables used in modeling the interrelationship of seed yield were: rainfall, minimum and maximum temperatures. The distribution of these factors was obtained by partitioning the crop growth duration into 10-day intervals before and after flowering, and before maturity. Thus, 29 climatic variables were generated and stepwise regressions were used to screen the most influential variables. Path analysis was used to examine the cause and effects of these variables on seed yield. The results revealed that a set of 8 variables (total rainfall during - planting and 30 days before flowering, 20 - 10 days before flowering, 20 - 30 days after flowering, 20 - 10 days before maturity, and maximum temperatures during - 30 – 20 days before flowering, 10 days after flowering, 20-30 days after flowering, and 30-20 days before maturity) accounted for 70% of the total variance in seed yield. The path coefficient analysis of seed yield with these variables showed that maximum temperature during 20-30 after flowering was major contributor to seed yield, and it was followed by maximum temperature during 10 days after flowering. This study thus indicated that temperature after flowering was the most crucial factor in determining seed yield in chickpea.