Vol. 7, Issue 12, Part A (2025)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a vital protein source in India, faces significant yield threats from climate change-induced temperature rise and suboptimal agronomic practices. Terminal heat stress, often caused by delayed sowing, severely impacts growth and productivity. Identifying resilient cultivars and optimal sowing windows is crucial for sustaining yield. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-2025 in a semi-arid region. Ten chickpea cultivars were evaluated across three sowing dates (S1: last week of October, S2: third week of November, S3: second week of December) using a split-plot design. Growth parameters (Leaf Area Index, total dry matter content, Crop Growth Rate) and yield attributes were recorded and analyzed. Sowing date significantly influenced all measured parameters. Early sowing (S1) resulted in superior growth, with the highest Leaf Area Index (2.074 at 90 DAS), total dry matter accumulation (24.20 g plant⁻¹), and grain yield (27.68 q ha⁻¹). Among cultivars, 'Viswaraj' and 'Phule Vikram' demonstrated consistently high performance. Critically, significant interactions between sowing date and cultivar were observed for grain yield and key yield components, where 'Viswaraj' under S1 achieved the highest yield (31.33 q ha⁻¹).