Yield Potential Evaluation in Chickpea Genotypes under Late Terminal Drought in Relation to the Length of Reproductive Stage

Chickpea grown in the semiarid Mediterranean environments of West Asia and North Africa may experience an extended late-drought stress. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate seed dry weight accumulation, reproductive growth duration, and seed yield in five chickpea genotypes in order to identify those under drought stress. Chickpea plants were exposed to two irrigation treatments (from flowering to seed physiological maturity): 1) Irrigation; 2) non-irrigation (rainfed) treatment. Seed dry weight and moisture content, seed yield and yield components, and reproductive growth duration [as defined from flowering to physiological maturity (yellow pods)] were measured. Seeds from plants grown under non-irrigation (rainfed) treatment reached their maximum dry weight and minimum seed moisture content earlier than those from plants grown under irrigation treatment, indicating that chickpea had shorter reproductive growth duration and faster maturity under late-terminal drought (rainfed). The non-irrigation treatment decreased seed yield by 49-54% as compared with the irrigation, except for Flip 97-99 (10% reduction only). Seed yield was positively correlated with reproductive growth duration. The genotype DZ 10-11 had the highest reproductive growth duration and seed yield under irrigation. Late drought stress (non-irrigation) was detrimental to all genotypes. To maximize seed yield of chickpea, late-terminal drought stress should be avoided.