EFFECT OF INTER AND INTRA ROW SPACING ON YIELD COMPONENTS AND YIELD OF CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.) AT HARAMAYA EASTERN, ETHIOPIA

One of the basic agronomic practices to improve yield potential of chickpea is identification of optimum plant spacing. Thus, field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of inter-row and intra-row spacing on the growth, yield components and yield of chickpea variety at Haramaya District at main season. The treatment consisted one chickpea variety namely Habru, three inter- row (20, 30 and 40 cm) and four intra- rows spacing (5, 10, 15 and 20 cm). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design RCBD in factorial arrangement with three replications. The highest days to 50% flowering (57.17 days) and days to physiologica l maturity (135.6 days) were recorded at 40 cm inter-row spacing, while at 20 cm intra-row spacing, the highest days to 50% flowering (58.11 days) and days to physiological maturity (136.3 days) were recorded. The interaction effects of intra-row and inter-row spacing showed significant effect on plant height. The tallest plant height (34.9 cm) was recorded due to interaction between 20 cm x 5 cm inter row and intra-row spacing, whereas the shortest (31.9 cm) was recorded from interaction between 40 cmx 20 cm. The 40 cm x 20 cm and 40 x 15 cm gave the highest number of primary branches (3.01) and secondary branches (34.20) plant-1 respectively, while the lowest number of primary branch (1.50) and that of secondary branch (13.7) were recorded from 20 x 5 cm. The 40 x 20 cm offered resulted in the highest number of pods (107.07) plant-1 whereas lowest pod (51.47) was recorded from 20 cm x5 cm. The main effects of inter and intra row was significant on number of hundred seed weight and seed per pod. The highest hundred seed weight of 24.47 g and 24.90 g were recorded under 40 cm interrow and 20 cm intra-row spacing, respectively. The highest yield 3225 kg ha-1 was recorded due to 40 cm inter-row with 15 cm intra- row spacing which was statistically at par with (3178 kg ha- 1) obtained at the interactions of 30 cm inter-row with 15 cm intra-row spacing. Thus, based on the results of this study, either 30 x 15 cm or 40 x 15 cm can tentatively be recommended as best for production of chickpea in the study area. But the study has to be repeated at more locations and seasons.