Growth and yield performance of some chickpea cultivars in central Uganda

Abstract

Eight early-and five medium-maturing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars were evaluated for growth and yield performance in the short rains of 1990 and long rains of 1991, at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo (MUARIK). The performance of the cultivars varied with the seasons. Plant height, number of branches and pods plant^-1, number of seeds and seed yield plant^-1 and seed yield plot^-1 differed significantly. Mean plot yields ranged from 0.261 to 1.227 kg in the short rains, and 0.417 to 1.241 kg in the long rains. The cultivars ICCX790197-3PLB-3PLB-BPLB, K850, and L550, were the highest yielding in the short rains, while cultivars L550, ICCL86105 and K850 were highest yielding in the long rains. Annigeri 1, Local check and ICC73008-8-1-1P-BP, were low yielding in both seasons. K850 showed the greatest stability in performance over the two seasons, suggesting that it could be successfully grown in diverse

ecological regions of the country.