response of chickpea (cicer arientinum l.) yield and yield componenents to

abstract field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of sowing date, crop density, and weed interference on yield and yield components of chickpea in lorestan province during 2005-06. the experimental was a randomized complete block design by factorial arrangement with 4 replications. the experiment had 3 factors: sowing date at 2 levels (autumn, and winter), crop density at 3 levels (25, 50, and 75 plants m-2), and weed interference at 2 levels (weed free, and weed infested throughout the entire growing season). the chickpea grain yield in autumn crop was twice as much winter crop approximately. it seems that the superiority autumn crop is related to coincidence of crop phenology with appropriate water and temperature regime. chickpea grain yield per area increased 24 and 27% as crop density increased from 25 to 50, and 75 plants m-2 respectively. by increasing of crop density from 50 to 75 plants m-2, chickpea grain yield did not increase significantly (only 2.25% excess). it seems that increasing of chickpea density more than 50 plants m-2 has not any economic advantage. although, weed density in autumn sowing was approximately three-fold more than weed density in winter sowing, but in weedy condition chickpea grain yield per area in autumn sowing was about 47% more than yield in winter sowing. weed control caused 58% grain yield increase related to weedy plots. this is show the importance of weed management to achieving chickpea yield potential.