Productivity of Kabuli chickpeas depending on the weather conditions of the year, varieties and methods of sowing in Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to study the productivity of chickpea plants depending on the variety, method of sowing and weather conditions of the growing year in the conditions of the Mykolaiv region, southern Ukraine. We used a randomized scheme of blocks with a factorial arrangement of 2x4 with two seeding methods (ordinary, 15 cm with the number of plants 60 PCs/m2 and wide-row, 45 cm with the number of plants 40 PCs/m2) and four varieties of Kabuli chickpeas (Rosanna, Pamyat, Triumph, Budzhak) in three-fold repetition. The yield of chickpeas, the protein content in the grain, and the yield of conditional protein per unit area were determined, depending on the factors that were being studied. The data obtained showed that in the conditions of the southern Steppe of Ukraine, weather conditions had the greatest impact on the productivity of chickpea plants (their share of influence reaches 73 %), while the grain yield varied from 1.04 to 1.83 t/ha depending on the varieties and methods of sowing. The Rosanna variety was characterized by the lowest variability in grain yield over the years. The Budzhak variety had the highest yield between the two contrasting years of moisture availability as 1.48 t/ha against 1.26-1.43 t/ha or 4-17% more in comparison with other varieties, this characterized its high genetic plasticity and compensatory ability. The highest yield of chickpea grain was formed in wide-row crops, with a yield increase of 0.12 t/ha or 9.6% in comparison with the usual row sowing. The protein content of chickpea grains on average in the experiment was 26.0% with a variation in varieties from 22.1 up to 30.3%. A strong correlation between the protein content of chickpea grains and the air temperature during the growing season was established (r = 0.79-0.84). The highest protein content was observed in the chickpea variety Pamyat, but the maximum collection of conditional protein per unit area was provided by the Budzhak variety due to the formation of the highest grain yield.