SEED QUALITY AND YIELD OF CHICKPEA (Cicer arientinum L.) AS INFLUENCED BY SEED SOURCES AND SEED RATES AT AMBO, WEST SHOWA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

West Showa Zone is a major producer of chickpeas in Oromia Regional State and in the country. The farmers used seeds from different seed sources and seed rates, but limited information is available on the quality of seeds from different seed suppliers and seed rates to produce a high yield. This study was, therefore ,conducted to evaluate the effect of seed rates and seed sources on seed quality, yield, and yield-related traits of chickpea. Seven seed samples of the Habru chickpea variety collected from seven seed sources (Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre, Lume Union Seed Producers, Burka Seed Producer Plc., Erer Union Seed Producer, ATM Seed Producer Plc., Oromia Seed Enterprise, and Gudeta Gonfa Seed Producer Plc.) and four seed rates (80, 100, 120, and 140 kg ha-1) were evaluated in a randomised complete design with three replications at Ambo Agricultural Research Centre during the 2022 main cropping season. The seed quality test was laid out in a completely randomised design with four replications. The seed purity of the seven seed samples of the variety had a mean seed purity of 98.63%, 30.8 g, 9.8%, and 94.96% for the mean hundred seed weight, moisture content, and germination, respectively. The analysis of variance showed that seed sources, seed rates, and the interaction of the two had a significant effect on plant height, number of pods per plant, seed yield per hectare, above-ground biomass, seed moisture content, standard germination, seedling root length, seedling length, and seedling vigour index. I.but non significant effect for days to (50% pod formation, 90%maturity,grain filling period ,number of branches per plant and harvesting index .Seed sources and seed rates had a significant effect on hundred seed weight, speed of germination, and seedling vigour index II, whereas seed source and seed rate significantly influenced days to 50% flowering and seed physical purity respectively. The seeds obtained from Oromia Seed Producer at an 80 kg ha-1 seed rate and seeds from ATM Seed Producer at a 140 kg/ha-1 seed rate produced the lowest seed yield (1.60 t/ha-1), while the seeds obtained from Lume Seed Producer at a seed rate of 120 kg/ha-1 produced the highest seed yield (3.03 t/ha-1). The seeds obtained from Erer Union Seed Producer and from Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre produced the lowest (27.79 g) and highest (33.3 g) hundred seed weights, respectively. The seeds produced with 80, 100, and 120 kg /ha-1 seed rates had 31.06, 31.1, and 30.2 g per hundred seeds, respectively, with non-significant differences between each other but significantly higher than plants at 140 kg ha-1 seed rate. The lowest percentage of normal seedling germination (81.5%) was observed in seeds produced from seeds of ATM at a 140 kg/ha-1 seed rate, while the highest percentage of normal seedling germination (100%) was observed in seeds produced from seed obtained from Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre at a 100 kg/ha-1 seed rate. The research results showed the variety produced from seeds of varied sources at different seed rates had a range of performances for growth, yield components, seed yield, and seed quality parameters, suggesting the importance of periodically testing the seed quality of varieties at the same conditions and creating awareness for seed suppliers on better quality seed production. thus, it was concluded that the production of high quality seeds by different seed suppliers and the use of appropriate seed rates are important factors to enhance the productivity of chickpea in the study area