Effect of Cultivar, Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilization on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Productivity

A 2-year field study was conducted in northern Greece to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation on productivity of three Greek chickpea varieties (“Amorgos” “Serifos”, “Andros”). Chickpea, grown under irrigation regime (30 + 30 mm of water) and fertilized with 50 kg·N·ha−1 before planting and with 40 kg·N·ha−1 at blossom growth stage, produced more total dry biomass and seed yield as compared with that grown under non-irrigated conditions and fertilized with 50 kg·N·ha−1 before planting only. In particular, irrigation and nitrogen fertilization at blossom growth stage increased total dry weight of chickpea by 18.3% and 18.5%, respectively, as compared with that of non-irrigated and fertilized with N before planting. The corresponding increase of seed yield was 30.5% and 20%, respectively. The total dry biomass of “Amorgos” was 10% and 13% greater than that of “Serifos” and “Andros”, while its respective seed yield increase was 5% and 16%. Finally, the quantum yield of photosystem II of chickpea was not affected by irrigation or fertilization. These results indicated that nitrogen fertilization at blossom growth stage combined with irrigation increased seed yield of all chickpea varieties, whereas the same treatments did not have any effect on plant quantum yield of photosystem II.