Response of chickpea genotypes to zinc fertilization under field conditions in South Australia and Pakistan

Soils low in available zinc (Zn) occur in many areas of the world where chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is grown. Improving the ability to grow and produce high yield under limited supplies of Zn (often referred to as Zn efficiency) may increase productivity of chickpea in many of these regions. The effects of Zn on the growth, grain yield and tissue ZN concentration of a number of chickpea genotypes were compared in one field experiment in South Australia and two in Pakistan. The DPTA-extractable Zn at the sites ranged from 0.24 to 0.30 mg kg(-1). In each experiment 10 genotypes were grown with or without additional Zn. Except for Tyson, the genotypes differed between the two experiments in Pakistan and that in South Australia. Grain yield responses to applied Zn, which ranged from 7% to 19%, occurred at each site, brit the largest responses occurred at the two sites in Pakistan. The rankings for Zn efficiency from the field experiments were significantly correlated with the rankings in previous pot trials, and there was a significant correlation in the performance of genotypes across sites in Pakistan. The high levels of zinc efficiency suggested that significant genetic gains in productivity under conditions of low Zn supply are possible. The ability of pot trials to predict performance under field conditions indicates that screening for zinc efficiency can be successfully conducted in the glasshouse.