Australia
May 17, 2012
Researchers are questioning the merits of early sowing of chickpeas in Central West NSW after trial results show the practice may not result in higher yields despite earlier flowering.
Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) district agronomists, Leigh Jenkins, Warren and Rohan Brill, Coonamble told growers at the recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Updates the disease risk and the impact of low temperatures on flowering may undermine yield benefits.
"Later sown chickpeas have a shorter vegetative phase and flower at temperatures more conducive to pod development," Ms Jenkins said.
“Chickpea time of sowing has been a debateable issue through several recent northern GRDC Update sessions.”
She says new chickpea varieties with high yielding attributes have led to the belief that sowing in early May would optimise water use, via increased biomass, and promote earlier flowering.
“This trial at Trangie Agricultural Research Centre has shown that earlier flowering does not necessarily translate into higher yield, due to the impact of lower temperatures during early flowering and a greater potential risk of disease.”
Ms Jenkins says conversely there is also a yield penalty from later sowing (late June) but chickpea plants are able to compensate to some effect when compared to very early sowing.
She says further GRDC-supported research is planned over several seasons to develop sound recommendations for the region.
Chickpeas contribute to the profitability of northern farming systems through the ability to fix nitrogen and provide weed and disease breaks for both winter and summer cereal crops.
Disease and frost damage are the two major constraints to chickpea production in the northern cropping region and in both cases sowing date can influence yield through avoidance of cold temperatures during flowering, and to reduce the effect of disease, Ms Jenkins said.
“The optimal time to sow chickpea will depend on the interaction between the environment and the available varietal germplasm,” she said.
“Current chickpea genotypes have excellent frost tolerance while in the vegetative stage, but conversely display one of the highest temperature thresholds for seed set among winter pulse crops.”
For more information, visit www.grdc.com.au/updates.
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