Ecological adaptation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) to water stress-2. grain yield, harvest index, flowering and maturity studies Rahman S.M. Lutfor, Uddin A.S.M. Mesbah1 Laboratory of Tropical Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-01, Japan. 1 Division of Soil Science, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Hathazari, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Online published on 29 October, 2012. Abstract Performance of 28 chickpea cultivars was evaluated for yield, flowering, stress tolerance and vegetative and fruiting characteristics in a plastic green house study under need-based watering and water stress conditions during April, 1994. Grain yield of all the cultivars reduced significantly except cultivar ICC 10448 and Bheema with and grains (g/pot), respectively. Degree of yield reduction varied with cultivars and it was less with ICC 10448, Bheema, Hyprosola and, more with ICCN 12464, ICCL 83228 and Nabin, Significantly, the highest correlation (r=0.902) of yield was observed with pod number (r2=0.810) followed by harvest index (r=0.745, r2= 0.547). Water stress delayed flower initiation, reduced root-shoot dry weight and yield components in all the cultlvars. Top |