I - --ii

130
Response to Plant Population
The winter-planted crop tends to respond better to increased plant population
than the spring-planted crop under rainfed conditions. This became evident from
the study in 1977-78 which was carried out using the local Syrian landrace (ILC
1929) at Tel Hadya (Fig. 3). Yields were higher with a population level of about
28 plants/m2 than with 18.5 plants/m2 in winter planting (December 4), whereas
in th,_ ,pring planting no such difference between the two population levels was
observed. Observations on farmers' fields reveal that the plant population is
seldom more than 20 plants per m2. Perhaps the increased inter-plant competi­
2000 01 18.5 plants/m 2
1600
4-100­
• 800
400
0,._
M27.8 plants/tn 2
Dec 4 Feb 2 Mar 6
Date of Planting
Figure 3
Effect of date of planting ard plant population on the grain yield
of chickpea at Tel Hadya during 1977-78.