VERMICOMPOST AS A SOIL SUPPLEMENT TO RELIEVE THE EFFECTS OF LOW-INTENSITY DROUGHT STRESS ON CHICKPEA YIELD

Vermicompost is organic waste(s) turned into high quality compost by earthworms. Its effects on soil and plants have been investigated extensively. This field experiment aimed to study whether it can alleviate the deleterious effects of drought stress on grain yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The vermicompost [0 (control), 3, 6 and 9 ton ha^-1] and drought levels [full irrigation (control), stress (no irrigation) from 10 leaves stage, flowering, pod initiation and grain filling to maturity] were arranged as split plot based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The results indicated that vermicompost tended to increase the availability of major nutrients in the soil. It improved the allocation of biomass to leaves rather than stems. Application of 9 ton ha^-1 vermicompost could relieve the suppressant effect of low-intensity drought stress on grain yield; so that the yield of plants treated with combination of 9 ton ha^-1 vermicompost and water shortage during grain filling-maturity period tended to be statistically similar to that of control. The positive effect of vermicompost on the grain yield of highly stressed plants appeared to be statistically negligible. For plants that were stressed during grain-filling to maturity period, grain yield increased by 31, 51 and 106% from the application of 3, 6 and 9 ton ha^-1 of vermicompost, respectively. The yield gain for non stressed plants was 29, 36 and 45%, respectively.