Trait-Dependent and Site-Specific Effects of Foliar IAA and Kinetin on Two Chickpea Varieties Grown Under Contrasting Conditions

Chickpea cultivation in Algeria struggles to meet domestic demand, but affordable plant growth regulators like indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kinetin present a cost-effective solution. Researchers evaluated the individual and combined impacts of foliar-applied IAA and kinetin (0, 10, and 20 mg/L) on two chickpea cultivars – FLIP 84-92 and ILC 32-79 – grown simultaneously in field trials at ITGC's El Khroub station and in pots at Oum El Bouaghi's Institute of Natural Sciences during the 2024/2025 growing season.

Each cultivar received nine hormone treatments, each replicated three times. Surprisingly, no single treatment dominated across all conditions. For instance, the combination of A20+K20 produced the largest leaf area in pots and the highest dry matter weight in the field, while A10+K10 resulted in the largest field leaf area after the first application and the greatest pot dry matter weight.

Kinetin alone at 20 mg/L (K20) yielded the most pods and leaves in the field, and A10+K20 gave the heaviest grains in pots, measured by weight per 100 seeds. Comparisons between field and pot data were challenging due to the distinct environments and sampling methods. While FLIP 84-92 showed superior germination rates (86% vs. 83%) and heavier grains, ILC 32-79 exhibited longer stems.

The manuscript provided only treatment means without replicate data or variance estimates, so the authors presented these as descriptive numerical differences rather than statistically significant findings. The overall trend suggests that IAA and kinetin's effects are both variety-dependent and environment-specific, rather than consistently additive.

To accurately assess potential interactions or synergistic effects between the two hormones, a well-designed factorial analysis with adequate replication is required.