Chickpea seed mass influences agronomical performance

Cicer arietinum L. is a major food legume across the globe. However, the yield of legume crops appears to have reached a plateau in developing countries where yield is often impacted by poor crop establishment. Therefore, seed physiological characteristics (specific to the cultivars/landraces adapted to various regions of the world) and their impacts on plantlet establishment and performance should be investigated. This study determined the effect of seed size on germination, plant development and agronomic performance in Cuba. Biochemical parameters were also evaluated up to 21 d of growth. The results showed that seeds with largest mass (89 ± 3 mg, group 3) showed more rapid germination, emergence and plant growth than other tested mass categories. This trend was sustained until plant maturity, where group 3 seeds generated highest yield. Differences were also noted in the antioxidant profiles among developing plants with highest levels of SOD and PER found in plants generated from seeds with smallest mass (55 ± 3 mg per seed, group 1). Above findings raise the question as to whether seeds of chickpea display heteromorphic behavior, however, further studies are required.