Abstract

Background:  Understanding the interactions between weed communities and chickpea crops can improve weed management practices, boost crop productivity, and promote sustainability.

Objective:  Assessing the interference caused by weed communities on chickpea production and to explore the relationship between weed biodiversity and chickpea yield.

Methods:  Random sampling was utilized to assess weed populations in 85 chickpea fields. Weed density and canopy cover, as well as indices of species richness, Shannon-Weiner, and Camargo's evenness, were recorded at two phenological stages of chickpeas: four to seven leaves and mid to early-podding. Regression methods were employed to examine the effects of weed traits on chickpea yield. Finally, principal component analysis was conducted among weed and chickpea data.

Results:  Chickpea yield decreased with increasing weed density and canopy cover. Increasing weed density from 0 to 50 plants m^-2 decreased chickpea yield by 36.73% at the four to seven-leaf stage. In addition, an increase in canopy cover from 0 to 55% caused a yield loss of 41.70 g m^-2 at the early-podding stage. Wild safflower (Carthamus oxyacantha M. Bieb.) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) were the most predominant weeds with a significant negative correlation with chickpea yield. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) had a negative correlation with chicory and wild safflower. There was a positive relationship between density and canopy cover of licorice and chickpea yield, weed diversity and evenness.

Conclusions:  Effective weed management should focus on both controlling dominant species and promoting weed diversity to enhance crop productivity and environmental sustainability.

Keywords:
Chickpeas; Competition; Dryland Farming; Positive Interactions; Sustainable Agricultural