Abstract: Chickpea seeds (cv. ILC482) were soaked in distilled water at 17.3 ° C for 8(P2), 16(P3) and 24(P4) hours and subsequently dried back to about 30% moisture content. Germination percentage, germination rate and seedling dry weight for different treatments were determined in laboratory. The field experiment was conducted under different irrigation regimes (I1, I2 and I3-irrigation after 80, 120 and 160 mm evaporation from class A pan) in 2006. In laboratory, seed germination rate was increased with increasing hydropriming duration. Maximum germination rate was obtained for P4 treatment, which was not significantly different from P3 treatment. Seedling dry weight of hydroprimed seeds was significantly higher than that of control (P1). In the field, ground cover, biological yield and grains per unit area were decreased, as water deficit severed. The lowest number of grains per unit area, 1000 grain weight and grain yield per unit area were obtained under I3. However, these traits were not significantly different between I1 and I2. Mean seedling emergence rate and percentage improved, as a result of hydropriming. Consequently, ground cover of plants from primed seeds was higher than that from unprimed seeds, but this difference was not statistically significant. Mean biological yield, grains per unit area and grain yield of plants from primed seeds were significantly higher than those from non-primed seeds, but the effect of hydropriming duration on these traits was not significant. Mean 1000 grain weight of plants from P1 and P4 treatments decreased, with increasing water limitation. However, plants from P2 and P3 treatments produced the largest grains under I2. Yield improvement was 25-40 %, depending on hydropriming duration. The highest yield increase was achieved with 16 h hydropriming. It was, therefore, suggested that this priming duration is the best treatment for invigoration of chickpea seeds.