Evaluation of PRE and POST Herbicides on Growth Features, Nodulation, and Nitrogen Fixation of Three Cultivars of Chickpea (Cicer aritinium L.)

It is exceptionally difficult to have productive farming without the use of herbicides. It has been found that they create difficulties in the growth and biological nitrogen fixation of some legume crops after their application. Adverse impacts may result from a direct effect of the herbicide on rhizobial growth and/or an indirect effect on plant growth. In order to study the effect of some PRE and POST herbicides on nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and growth characteristics of three chickpea cultivars, a greenhouse trial was conducted in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement and three replications. Pyridate, imazethapyr, and trifluralin were applied with the recommended rates of 1100, 100, and 720 g ai ha−1, respectively, and also non-treated control on three chickpea cultivars (ILS482, Hashem, and Kaka). The results showed that trifluralin and pyridate herbicides had the highest and the least negative impact on growth characteristics of three examined cultivars. Pyridate showed a positive effect on vegetative characteristics but nodulation and total nitrogen contents in the shoots of chickpea cultivars decreased significantly. Results also revealed that root and shoot growth, nodulation, and nitrogen fixation diminished significantly when imazethapyr and trifluralin were applied to Hashem and ILC482 cultivars. It seems that pyridate is an appropriate herbicide for broadleaf weed control in chickpea fields. © 2020, Korean Society of Crop Science and Springer.