Introduction

• Botanical Name: Cicer arietinum
• Family: Leguminaceae
• Common Names: Gram, Chana, Chickpea
• Origin: Western Asia (Turkey)

Economic Importance

• Chickpea contains 21% protein, 2.2% fat, and 62% carbohydrates.
• Mineral content:
  • Calcium: 190 mg/100g
  • Iron: 90.5 mg/100g
  • Phosphorus: 280 mg/100g
• Protein digestibility is higher compared to other pulses.
• Germinated seeds are beneficial for curing scurvy.
• Granular hairs of leaves and pods contain Malic Acid (90-96%) and Oxalic Acid (4-10%), used in medicinal preparations.
• Chickpea husk and soaked seeds are used as cattle feed.

Area, Production, and Productivity

• Chickpea ranks 19th among crops cultivated worldwide.
• 77% of global production is from India.
• Major chickpea-producing countries:
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Turkey
  • Mexico
  • Burma
  • Ethiopia

• Production Statistics:

• State-wise in India:
  • Madhya Pradesh leads in area (2.6 M ha) and production (2.4 M t) with 930 kg/ha yield.
  • Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh follow closely.
  • The three states contribute 84% of the total area and 86% of total production.
  • Highest global productivity: Egypt (1.8 t/ha).

Soil Requirements

• Grows on a wide range of soils from medium to heavy black soils.
• Best suited for black cotton soils and sandy loams.
• Optimum soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (not suitable for >8.5 pH).
• Does not tolerate waterlogging, saline, or alkaline conditions.

Climatic Requirements

• Rabi crop, thrives in cool and humid weather.
• Moderate rainfall (400-700mm) is suitable.
• Optimum temperature: 24-30°C.
• Chickpea is a long-day plant requiring bright sunshine.
• Crop duration:
  • North India: 160-170 days (cooler winters).
  • South India: 90-110 days (warmer winters).
• Waterlogging causes wilt disease (especially in intercropping with pigeon pea).

Types and Varieties

Types of Chickpea

1. Kabuli Type
2. Desi Type (dominant cultivation in India)

Differences Between Kabuli and Desi Chickpea

Varieties of Bengal Gram (Chickpea)

Chickpea varieties are classified into two main types: Desi type and Kabuli type.

Desi Type

• • Jyothi (ANGRAU)
  • Annegiri (Karnataka)
  • Vishal (Wilt-tolerant variety)
  • Vijay, Avarodhi
  • Radha, Gwalior, Vikas, Chabba

Kabuli Type

• • Kranthi
  • Swetha

Other Important Varieties in India

• Wilt-resistant varieties: Vishal, Vijay, Avarodhi
• Popular varieties grown in Andhra Pradesh (AP): Annegiri, Kiranthi, Jyothi, Swetha

Hybrid and High-Yielding Varieties

• Pusa 1103, Pusa 256, Pusa 1003 (ICAR-IARI, New Delhi)
• BG 372, BG 256 (BHU, Varanasi)
• GNG 469 (Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner)
• ICCV 10 (ICRISAT, Hyderabad

Other Notable Varieties

• General Varieties: Radha, Gwalior, Vikas, Chabba
• Wilt-Tolerant Varieties: Vishal, Vijay, Avarodhi

Seed and Sowing

• Seed Rate:
  • Desi type: 65-70 kg/ha
  • Kabuli type: 80-90 kg/ha
• Spacing:
  • Desi type: 30 cm x 10 cm
  • Kabuli type: 45 cm x 10 cm
• Sowing Period: Mid-October to early November
• Sowing Depth: 6-8 cm
• Late sowing increases wilt disease, while early sowing leads to excessive vegetative growth and poor pod setting.

Fertilizer Management

• Chickpea benefits from residual soil fertility.
• Recommended Fertilizer Application (kg/ha):

• Zinc Deficiency: Corrected with 0.5% ZnSO4 foliar spray or soil application of 25 kg ZnSO4/ha.
• Bio-fertilizers: Rhizobium inoculation increases nitrogen fixation and enhances yield by 20-30%.

Irrigation Management

• 55% of chickpea is rainfed.
• Under drought conditions, two irrigations are recommended:
  1. Branching stage (45 DAS)
  2. Pod formation stage (75 DAS)
• If water is available, four irrigations:

• 1. Sowing
  2. Branching
  3. Flowering
  4. Pod filling
• North India: Excess irrigation can cause lodging.
• South India: High evaporation, additional irrigation doubles yield.

Weed Control

• Major weeds due to slow growth.
• Herbicides:
  • Pre-emergence: Pendimethalin (0.5-1.0 kg/ha), Bentazon (1.0-1.5 kg/ha)
  • Pre-plant incorporation: Fluchloralin (0.5-1.0 kg/ha), Trifluralin (0.5-0.7 kg/ha)

Harvesting and Threshing

• Maturity signs:
  • Leaves turn reddish-brown and start shedding.
  • Harvesting is done in the morning to avoid pod shattering.
• Threshing:
  • Sun-dried for a week.
  • Threshed under cattle feet or by beating with sticks.

Cropping Systems

Sequential Cropping

• Rice – Chickpea
• Cotton – Chickpea

Intercropping

• Chickpea + Mustard
• Chickpea + Linseed
• Chickpea + Sunflower
• Chickpea + Coriander (South India)

Yield 20-25 quintals per hectare.