Yield components were determined for two short-duration pigeonpea [Caj
anus cajan (L.) Millsp.] cultivars, ICPL 87 and ICPL 151, in response
to terminal drought stress with three partial flower/pod removal or fo
ur foliar fertilization treatments applied from the time of full flowe
ring. Flower/pod removal treatments comprised a control with no flower
/pod removal, lower-plant flower and pod removal at full flowering and
18 days later (EL), allowing pods to develop only on the top-3 nodes
of the main stem, and flower/pod removal 18 days after full flowering
only (L). The EL and L treatments were applied to ICPL 87 and only the
EL treatment to ICPL 151. Seed yield of the top-3 nodes was increased
by the EL treatment for both cultivars under rainfed and irrigated co
nditions, but was not significantly affected by the L treatment. With
flower/pod removal, increased yields of the top-3 nodes were due to in
creases in the pod density and/or the seed size, with little change in
the number of seeds pod-1. Foliar fertilization of cultivar ICPL 87 w
ith solutions containing N, P, K and S in similar proportions to those
found in developing seeds at 20 and 40 kg N ha-1, had no significant
effects on yield or yield components under either soil moisture condit
ion. Factors within the plant during early reproductive growth appear
to limit seed yield under both soil moisture conditions, and reproduct
ive sink capacity and nutrient (N, P, K and S) supply, apparently, are
not limiting. Such information on plant factors limiting yield under
water stress conditions allows for a better understanding of drought r
esistance mechanism(s) for short-duration pigeonpea.