YIELD ANALYSIS AND ECONOMIC RESULT OF CHICKPEAS (CICER ARIETINUM L.) AND WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) IN THE CENTER OF CÓRDOBA DURING THE 2019/20 AND 2020/21 CAMPAIGNS

Abstract

Wheat is one of the main crops in the central region of the province of Córdoba, while chickpea began to be sown from the 2011/12 season. The economic result for legumes was more favorable than for wheat. However, due to the fall in the price of chickpea during the last two seasons, 2019/20 and 2020/21, wheat showed a better performance than legume. The objective of this work is to analyze the grain and economic yield of wheat and chickpea crops in the central region of the province of Córdoba, in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 agricultural seasons. The variety of chickpea “Norteño” and wheat for bread “Klein Guerrero” were sown on May 14, 2019 and for the year 2020, on May 2. The chickpea seeds were cured and inoculated. 30 seeds m-2 were sown in chickpea and 200 seeds m-2 in wheat. Each experimental unit consisted of 4 rows of 5 m long spaced 0.35 m apart in chickpea and 0.20 m in wheat. A randomized complete block experimental design with 3 replications was used. From the 2 central furrows a sample of 1.4 m-2 (chickpea) and 1.0 m-2 (wheat) was taken. The variables were measured: grain yield (kg ha-1) and weight of 1000 grains (g) and the variable: number of grains per m-2 was calculated. The economic indicators were calculated: Gross Income (IB), Direct Costs (CD) and Gross Margin (MB) of each crop. The information was statistically analyzed using the InfoStat program. Significant differences were observed between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons for yield and in one of its components for both crops. Regarding the economic analysis, it showed that wheat is more profitable than chickpea in the central region of the province of Córdoba for the analyzed biennium.