Mineral nutrition of chickpea

Abstract

The chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) nutrition physiology was evaluated in two different trials. Under greenhouse conditions, in trial I, the hunger symptoms due to the omission of each nutrient in nutritive solution was studied. The growing parameters, the chemical composition and the visual hunger symptoms of the chickpea plant, were analysed. The omission of any nutrient affected all growing parameters, and the calcium omission affected the other nutrients absorption. Under field conditions, in trial II, the dry matter and nutrient absorption, storage and translocation by the chickpea culture during its biological cycle were evaluated. The nutrients were absorbed in the following quantitative order: nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur. It was concluded that the chickpea mineral nutrition pattern is similar to the other eatable leguminous and that the calcium is the key nutrient for a successful chickpea culture in Brazilian conditions.