The Effect of Cropping Method and Botanical Form on Seed Yielding and Chemical Composition of Chickpeas (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) Grown under Organic System

A field study was conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Grabów in Poland between 2017–2018. This study evaluated seed yield and chemical composition of chickpeas (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) under organic conditions, either growing as a sole crop, or with barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>) or oats (<i>Avena sativa</i> L.) as supporting plants. Two chickpea types were included in experiment scheme: kabuli and desi. The experiment was established as a split-plot design with four replicates. The study showed that a higher total seed yields of both forms of chickpeas grown in both pure sowing and with spring cereals was obtained in 2018 than 2017. The higher yield in this study period was the result of a greater number of pods, seeds, and higher weight of the chickpea seed and cereal grains on a plant. Higher yields were noted in chickpeas grown with supporting crops than in sole cropping. Significantly better thousand seed weight of both botanical forms of chickpeas was observed in chickpeas grown in sole cropping than with supporting plants. Regardless of cropping method, the desi form was characterized by higher yields than the kabuli type, and its percentage in seed yields of chickpeas grown with cereals was higher than the kabuli type. The highest seed yields were obtained in chickpeas grown with oats. Neither chickpea type had a significant effect on the height of cereal plant, the number of grains on each plant, the number of producing shoots or thousandgrainweight of the two cereal species. Regardless of cropping method, the highest content of fiber and fat was determined in desi-type seeds, while the highest protein and phosphorus content was characterized kabuli-type seeds.