Agronomic Evaluation of Improved Chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum </i>L.) Varieties and Seeding Rates on Vertisols in Abeshige, Central Ethiopia

Identification of appropriate varieties and seed rates for different agroecology are important agronomic practices to increase the productivity of chickpea. A field experiment was conducted during the cropping season to evaluate the performance of chickpea varieties and their seed rates on Vertisols of Abeshige district. Four chickpea varieties (Minjar of 100, 125, 150 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>), Teketay of 120, 150, 180 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>, Habru of 130, 162.5 195 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> and Yelbe of 120, 150, 180 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>)] and three levels of seed rates were used and combined factorially in randomized complete block design with three replications. Interaction of Chickpea varieties and seed rates were significantly affected number of days to 50% emergency, days to 50% flowering and 90% maturity, plant height, seed yield, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod, hundred seed weight, harvest index and dry biomass of chickpea. Teketay varieties showed better performance on seed yield, harvest index and number of seed per pod in response to seed rate. Teketay with 180 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> was gave better yield and yield components of Chickpea variety. Therefore, Teketay variety with 180 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> is recommended to sustain chickpea production in Vertisols of Abeshige areas in central mid-lands of Ethiopia.