Yield and yield components of chickpea (Cicer arietinum): Response to genotype and planting density in summer and winter sowings

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is adapted to environmental stresses such as drought, high temperatures and poor soils and may thus be an important food security crop for smallholder farmers in the semi-arid tropics. This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic performance of four desi and three kabuli chickpea cultivars in the dry environments of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Two field experiments were conducted in summer 2006/2007 and winter 2007, using a factorial arrangement of chickpea cultivars and three planting density (33, 25 and 20 plants per m(2)) in a randomized complete block design replicated three tunes. Number of pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100 seed weight (100-SW), grain yield, and harvest index (HI) were determined at maturity. Cultivar and planting density affected the number of pods per plant only in the winter sowing; number of pods per plant was greater at low (27.3) compared with high (20.6) planting density. Planting density did not affect number of seeds per pod, 100-SW and HI in both seasons. In contrast, the effect of cultivar on number of seeds per pod and 100-SW was significant in both seasons. Grain yield and HI varied with cultivar only in the summer sowing. Grain yield was greater at the high (2149 kg ha(-1)) compared with the low (1035 kg ha(-1)) planting density in the summer sowing. Grain yield was greater in the winter (3308.3 kg ha(-1)) compared with the summer (1483.7 kg ha(-1)) sowing. Therefore, the site of the current study may, be suitable for chickpea production in both summer and winter seasons but with greater potential in winter.