Water productivity and crop yield in five chickpea varieties – how important is supplemental irrigation?

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops in the world as a source of protein for human consumption. In Mediterranean regions, chickpea is traditionally grown as a rainfed crop, thus highly dependent on rainfall. In this situation, supplemental irrigation may be applied. The objective of our study was to evaluate the improvement in crop yield and water productivity with supplemental irrigation in five chickpea varieties (three kabuli type and two desi type) from the Portuguese breeding selection program. Field tests were carried out over two cropping seasons (2009, dry year and 2010, wet year), in Southern Portugal, using four irrigation treatments, full (100%) crop irrigation requirements(IR), 50 % of IR, 25 % of IR and rainfed. A significant increase in grain and shoot biomass yields was observed especially in dry years. Elixir (kabuli type) variety showed the highest grain and biomass yield, harvest index and water productivity. In the dry year, the highest water productivity for grain and biomass production was attained at the 50% and in the wet year in the rainfed treatment.