Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars to integrated application

ABSTRACT: To determine the effects of drought stress and Zinc fertilizer on yield, yield components and grain protein profiling pattern of chickpea a field experiment was conducted on a clay soil, in Bu-Ali Sina University of Hamedan, Iran. The experiment was a split- factorial design with three replications. The main treatment was drought stress (sever drought stress, moderate drought stress and no drought stress). The sub treatment was four cultivars of chickpea, Azad, Bivanij, Hashem and ILC482 and 2 Zn levels (using hand sprayer 1 L and control). The results showen that the effects of drought stress on yield and yield components, effect of cultivars on grain yield and protein yield were significant. With increasing level of drought stress yield, yield components and protein yield decreased. Therefore, Bivanij cultivar had highest production of chickpea (grain yield and grain protein yield) and Hashem cultivar had a lowest among of them. Application of Zinc fertilizer had better effect on grain yield, yield components and grain protein yield compared to the control and grain yield and biomass yield increased with application of it significantly. Therefore, we can increase yield and grain protein yield of chickpea by irrigation and application of Zinc fertilizer. Also the results revealed that drought stress and Zn fertilizer had not effects on grain protein banding patterns in chickpea cultivars.