The effect of sowing date and row spacing on yield and yield components on Hashem chickpea variety under rainfed condition

In order to investigate the impacts of sowing date and row spacing on yield and yield components of Hashem chickpea variety, a field experiment was conducted in 2005 at farm of Dorood Faraman (Kermanshah-Iran). In this study, the sowing date in three level (6, 23 November and 6 December) and the row spacing in three level on rows (20, 30 and 40 cm) were evaluated with complete randomized block design in factorial arrangement. Results of experiment showed that there are significant differences for planting date and planting density effects of plant height, number of branch per plant, distance between 1st pod to soil, number of pod per plant, number of grain per plant, biological yield and grain yield. The maximum grain yield belongs to sowing date 6 November and row spacing 30 cm. However maximum number of pod per plant and grain per plant belong to 40 cm row spacing but higher number of pod and grain per unit area in 20 cm row spacing results in increasing grain yield in this row spacing. Results show increasing planting density resulted in decreased yield components, but on the other hand increased plant number compensated for decrease of yield components. Also we found that planting at 6th December had higher distance of pod from soil surface and thus easier for mechanized harvesting.   Key words: Chickpea, sowing date, row spacing, grain yield, yield components.