Dry matter accumulation was determined in 27 chickpea (Cicer arietinum) lines in time-of-sowing ®eld trials and in controlled-environment chambers at day/night temperatures of 13/5, 18/8 and 23/13°C to assess tolerance to growth-inhibiting temperatures. Field trials were based at Narrabri, NSW, Australia, in a region of summer-dominant rainfall where winter crops are grown on stored soil moisture. Percentage emergence was lower than expected in some ®eld trials and in the coolest controlled environment. Subsequent dry matter accumulation showed the eects of poor crop establishment until the onset of¯owering. Kabuli types were more susceptible to poor emergence than desi types. Dierent lines yielded the greatest dry matter production at dierent stages of growth. In the seedling phase, to 30 days after emergence, kabuli accessions SP1.563 and Garnet showed signi®cantly greater dry matter accumulation than all other accessions in all controlled environments, suggesting broad adaptation. One desi accession, Gully, was almost as productive as these two kabuli accessions in the intermediate environment but was much poorer in the other environments, indicating very narrow adaptation. In the vegetative phase, the greatest relative growth rates were found in the desi accessions. Line 940-26 was identi®ed as highly productive in both ®eld and controlled-environment experiments. Dry matter accumulation was not signi®cantly aected by temperature, although it was slightly greater in the coolest controlled environment than in the other two. The accession by temperature interaction was not signi®cant, showing that the breadth of adaptation was similar in all accessions during this growth phase. The optimum time of sowing for dry matter accumulation was late May, 4±6 weeks before the winter solstice. The results showed that chickpeas are well adapted to germination and seedling establishment in moderate conditions, followed by vegetative growth in cooler conditions. These conditions are typical following autumn sowing in a Mediterranean or temperate environment. Kabuli types appear to have stronger growth during the seedling phase and desi types during the vegetative phase. Recombination of these traits could lead to more productive cultivars.