Emergence, Establishment and Seed Yield of Chickpea as Affected by Sodicity

Abstract

The study on sodicity tolerance of nine chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars indicated that emergence, establishment, leaf area, number of leaves and leaf dry weight/plant aDd seed yield/plot were markedly affected with the rise in ESP values. The crop was more susceptible at the later stages of establishment than at emergence. Cultivars susceptible at establishment showed very high mortality (69.7 to 96.0%) at 28 ESP. On the contrary, the cultivar ICCC-1072, which was tolerant at this stage, had only 50% mortality at the same ESP level. Expressed as a percentage of the control, decline: in the yield of cultivars at 28 ESP ranged from 79.9 (ICCC-1072) to 989 (H 208) whilst the ESP threshold levels for yield varied from 19 (9521) to 238 (ICCC-1072). The cultivar ICCC-I072 was most promising in terms of establishment and seed yield whereas the cultivar CP 52 at emergence only. Cultivars varied in their tolerance potential at various growth stages studied.