The effect of reduced branching on yield and water-use of Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L) in a mediterranean type environment

An earlier study indicated that seed yield in chickpea was limited by the low harvest index of later-formed basal branches and that eliminating these by restricting branching to no more than two per plant, each with a high harvest index, should result in higher seed yields. This was tested in a dry Mediterranean type environment at Merredin in the south western Australian cereal belt by debranching high density stands of chickpea (70 plants m-2), leaving only the main stem and first basal branch, and comparing them with freely branching controls.