Effect of Soil Moisture Content on Seedling Emergence and Early Growth of Some Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes

At the crop level, the drought stress accounts for most variations in yield. A controlledglasshouse investigation at day/night temperatures of 22/15°C based at Perth City, WesternAustralia was performed (in 2006) to assess the influence of different soil moisture contents(field capacity percentage basis) on emergence as well as early plant growth in twentychickpea genotypes. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with soil moisture contentas the main treatment and genotype as sub-treatment. Significant differences (P