Effects of irrigation applied at different growth stages on chickpea yield

H. Kirnak¹, I.S. Varol²*, H.A. Irik² and H. Ozaktan³

¹University of Adnan Menderes, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, TR09010 Efeler, Aydın, Turkey
²University of Erciyes, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biosystems Engineering, TR38010 Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey
³University of Erciyes, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, TR38010 Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey
*Correspondence: svarol@erciyes.edu.tr

Abstract:

This study was conducted over the experimental fields of Erciyes University in 2016 to investigate the effects of irrigations applied at different growth stages on chickpea yields. Experiments were conducted in randomized blocks design with 3 replications. There were 7 irrigation treatments as of I₁: rainfed, I₂: pre-bloom single irrigation, I₃: single irrigation at the beginning of blooming, I₄: single irrigation at 50% pod set, I₅: two irrigations at 50% bloom and 50% pod-set, I₆: two irrigations at pre-bloom and 50% pod-set, I₇: full irrigation. The amount of applied irrigation water varied between 85.6–323 mm. Plant water consumptions varied between 262–569 mm. The greatest yield was obtained from I₄ treatment with 273 kg da^-1 and the lowest yield was obtained from I₁ treatments with 146 kg da^-1. It was concluded for chickpea cultivation under deficit water resources conditions that water deficits may be applied at different growth stages except for 50% pod-set period.

Key words:

chickpea, ET, irrigation, yield