Evaluation of early seedling development of Chickpea and its relation to seed yield

The rapid establishment of crop seedlings for competitive resource use is critical for both organic and conventional production systems. Seedling vigor is directly related to a plant's seedling establishment and ability to compete against weeds. Knowledge is lacking on the variation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seedling vigor traits among the cultivars at early growth stages and how these vigor traits measured in the greenhouse and field correlate to final grain yield. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate 23 chickpea cultivars. Nodule numbers per plant, nodule fresh weight, aboveground biomass and shoot height, and vigor index (VI)‐I significantly differed among the commercial chickpea varieties and breeding lines in the greenhouse study. Aboveground and belowground biomass, N uptake, and VI‐II also showed significant differences among the cultivars in the field study in 2017. The greenhouse‐measured parameters did not correlate well with field measurements, except for VI‐I and field‐measured biomass. Although chickpea seed yield in 2017 was positively correlated with field‐measured seedling VI‐I and VI‐II, greenhouse‐measured VI‐I and VI‐II did not correlate with the 2017 seed yield in the field. Although vigorous seedlings enhanced seedling establishment, chickpea seed yield in the field is limited by the availability of plant growth resources such as available water. Smaller‐seeded chickpea cultivars yielded higher under a drier year, and larger‐seeded cultivars performed better in a wetter year.