Investigation of some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Adel cv. under the influence of nitrogen and supplemental irrigation

IntroductionPopulation growth and low protein content of cereals has attracted the attention of peoples to pulse crops. Pulses has important role in contributing to food and nutritional security and replenishing soil nutrients having a huge potential in addressing needs like future global food security, nutrition and environmental sustainability needs. These plants can fix nitrogen in their roots and are effectiveness in soil fertility. After harvesting of these plants, large amounts of nitrogen will be added to the soil that next plant can use them. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an annual plant with indeterminate growth habit. It is one of the most important food legumes. Generally, legumes are highly sensitive to water deficit stress in flowering stage. In different crops as well as chickpea, differential genotypic response to drought stress as a result of variation in physiological parameters has been reported. Drought stress is the most important challenges in production of chickpea in Golestan province. On time using of water in the most sensitive stage of plant growth will result in higher production of seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and supplemental irrigation on some quantity and quality traits of Adel chickpea cultivar in Gonbad Kavous conditions. Materials & Methods In order to study the effects of nitrogen and supplemental irrigation on quality and quantity of Adel variety of chickpea, an experiment as factorial based on RCBD in three replications was carried out in farm of Gonbad Kavous University in 2015-2016. Two factors was nitrogen in 3 levels of none consumption, consumption of 25 and 50 Kg nitrogen/ha and supplemental irrigation in 3 levels of none irrigation, irrigation in flowering stage and irrigation in flowering+seed filling stage. Traits that were measured included number of lateral branch, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, 100-seed weight, plant dry weight, seeds weight per plant, harvest index, grain yield, protein percent and protein yield. Seed planting was done during the third week of December 2015. Row spacing was 25 cm. 50% of urea was applied during sowing and the rest was side banded when the chickpea plants were at seed filling stage. Weed control was performed manually. Harvesting date was first week of June. Data were analyzed by using of SAS Ver. 9.1 software. For comparison of means, LSD at level of 5% was used. Results & DiscussionThe results showed that effects of nitrogen and supplemental irrigation on all traits except 100-seed weight and protein content were significant. Number of pods per plant in the treatment of 50 and 25 Kg N/ha with 29.36 and 27.76 were more than treatment of non consumption of nitrogen with 21.13. Irrigation in flowering and seed filling stages produced the maximum of pods per plant that was not significantly different from irrigation at flowering stage. The maximum grain yield was obtained from consumption of 50 Kg N/ha with 3287 Kg/ha. Seed yield in none application of nitrogen was 2243 Kg/ha. The maximum grain yield was obtained from treatment of irrigation in flowering and seed filling stage with 3218 Kg/ha. The maximum and minimum protein yield belonged to consumption of 50 Kg N/ha and non consumption of nitrogen, respectively. The maximum protein yield with 743 Kg/ha belonged to treatment of irrigation in flowering and seed filling stages and the minimum protein yield with 581 Kg/ha was obtained from non irrigation treatment. ConclusionsBased on this experiment results, nitrogen and supplemental irrigation was affected all traits except 100-seed weight and protein percent. The maximum amounts of traits were obtained from consumption of 50 and then 25 Kg N/ha. Irrigation in flowering and seed filling stages produced maximum seed yield that has not significant different with irrigation in flowering stage. In general, it seems that for suitable production of chickpea, it is necessary to irrigate it for two times and applicate 25 Kg N /ha