The effects of pyridate on 15 different chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes have been investigated under controlled environmental conditions. Different degrees of tolerance to pyridate were detected. Pyridate applied at 2.0 and 4.0 kg active ingredient ha-1 inhibited the growth of two of the 15 genotypes. Chlorophyll fluorescence intensity showed high levels of inhibition 3 h after treatment in chickpea. For all the genotypes, photosynthetic activity was recovered 10 days after treatment. Fluorescence-induction curves revealed that pyridate inhibited photosynthetic electron transport in chickpea genotypes and Amaranthus blitoides faster than in Lolium rigidum. Photosynthesis in chickpea genotypes recovered more quickly than in Lolium rigidum, while Amaranthus blitoides died 3 days after treatment. Hill reaction assays concluded that CL9673 was the most phytotoxic pyridate metabolite. The order of phytotoxicity was CL9673 >> CL9673-N-Gly > CL9869 > pyridate > CL9673-O-Gly. These results support the idea that tolerance of chickpea to pyridate is due to degradation and detoxification of the herbicide.