The effect of the starting nitrogen dose under different irrigation regimes on the yield of Kabuli chickpeas

Background. The aggravation of the water shortage problem caused by climate change in drought-prone areas emphasizes the use of climate-smart plants and climate-smart agriculture practices. Thus, the management of nitrogen fertilizers and controlling the amount of water consumed by crops seem very important issues.

Materials and methods. A field trial was aimed to evaluate chickpea phenology, morphology, and yield under different doses of nitrogen (0, 20, and 40 kg ha–1) and irrigation regimes (I₁: well-watered, I₂: rainfed, I₃: supplemental irrigation during the flowering, I4: supplemental irrigation during the flowering and seed setting) in chickpea drylands of Kermanshah, Western Iran. Results. Although N application slightly delayed the phenological stages, soil moisture deficiency significantly accelerated flowering and maturity. The highest rooting depth was recorded for I₂ + N₄₀, and the lack of soil moisture increased the longitudinal root growth. However, the number of root nodules (created by symbiotic relationship) under rainfed (I₂) and one-time supplemental irrigation (I₃) showed the lowest values of 7.30 and 6.70, respectively. Supplemental irrigation (S_I) improved the grain yield components compared to the rainfed condition, but the difference in grain yield between S_I and I₁ was still evident. The highest amounts of vegetative growth and yield were recorded under I₁ + N₂₀ and I₁ + N₄₀. The highest values of water-use efficiency for grain yield (WUEG) resulted under I₂ + N₄₀.

Conclusion. WUEG under rainfed conditions was 41%, 17% and 24% higher than I₁, I₃, and I₄, respectively. The highest biomass-based water use efficiency (WUEB) was obtained under I₁ + N₄₀ and I₂ + N₀ or N₂₀. Although I₄ produced a lower grain yield than well-watered conditions (ca. 400 kg ha–1), due to the water scarcity in the semi-arid regions, I₄ with the N application of 20 or 40 kg ha–1 is still recommended for small-scale farmers as an efficient smart-agriculture practice.

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