Studies on sowing depth for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) in a Mediterranean-type environment of south-western Australia

Pulses such as chickpea, faba bean and lentil have hypogeal emergence and t heir cotyledons remain where the seed is sown, while only the shoot emerges from the soil surface. The effect of three sowing depths (2.5, 5 and 10 cm ) on the growth and yield of these pulses was studied at three locations ac ross three seasons in the cropping regions of south-western Australia, with a Mediterranean-type environment. There was no effect of sowing depth on c rop phenology, nodulation or dry matter production for any species. Mean se ed yields across sites ranged from 810 to 2073 kg: ha(-1) for chickpea, 817 -3381 kg ha(-1) for faba bean, and 1173-2024 kg ha(-1) for lentil. In gener al, deep sowing did not reduce seed yields, and in some instances, seed yie ld was greater at the deeper sowings for chickpea and faba bean. We conclud e that the optimum sowing depth for chickpea and faba bean is 5-8 cm, and f or lentil 4-6 cm. Sowing at depth may also improve crop establishment where moisture from summer and autumn rainfall is stored in the subsoil below 5 cm, by reducing damage from herbicides applied immediately before or after sowing, and by improving the survival of Rhizobium inoculated on the seed d ue to more favourable soil conditions at depth.