Effect of seed hardening on growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of seed hardening with various chemicals on morpho-physiological traits and yield in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) during Rabi 2007, under rain feed conditions. Significantly higher seed yield was recorder in seed hardening with CaCl2 2%(26.32q per ha), followed by Cycocel 1000 ppm(23.54 q per ha) and succinic acid 20 ppm (23.44 q per ha) as compare to control (19.04 q per ha). The increased seed yield in seed hardening with CaCl2 2% may be attributed to increase in the morpho-physiological traits like plant height, number of leaf lets, leaf dry matter and total dry matter accumulation, leaf area plant and Harvest index. In addition to increase in the physiological trits like LAI, LAD, CGR, NAR and RGR and yield parameters like 100 seeds wight, seed yield per plant and Harvest index.