Gram (Chickpea) (Cicer arietinum L.)

Importance

• India is the largest producer of gram in the world, sharing about 65% of the global area and around 70% of global production.
• Major pulse crop in India in terms of acreage and production, followed by pigeon pea.
• Origin: Afghanistan (Persia region).

Nutritional Value

• Protein content: ~21%
• Rich source of calcium, iron, and niacin.
• Medicinal uses: Used as blood purifier; germinated seeds recommended for scurvy.

Area and Production in India 

(Madhya Pradesh alone accounts for nearly 40% of India’s gram production.)

Classification

Botanical Description

• Family: Leguminaceae (sub-family: Papilionaceae)
• Root system: Strong tap root system.
• Photosynthesis: C3 plant, long-day type.
• Flowering: Sensitive to frost at flowering stage.
• Fruit: Pod.

Key Points

• Sour taste of leaves and pods is due to maleic acid (90–96%) and oxalic acid (4–10%).
• Photosynthetic rate falls after flowering due to nodule degeneration.
• Overlap of vegetative and reproductive phases leads to competition between source (leaves) and sink (pods).

Agronomic Practices

Management Practices

• Deep sowing protects from wilt disease.
• Delayed planting increases Helicoverpa armigera (pod borer) infestation.
• Nipping and Topping:
  • Pruning of top branches at 50–60 DAS to promote reproductive growth.
  • Chemical nipping: TIBA (Tri-iodobenzoic acid) @ 75 ppm.

Varieties

Desi Gram Varieties:

Kabuli Gram Varieties:

Quick Facts:

• Fruit: Pod
• Sowing Depth: 8–10 cm
• Seed rate: 80–100 kg/ha
• Nipping: Encourages more pods
• Critical Stages for Irrigation: Pre-flowering & Pod development
• Most drought-resistant pulse crop.
• Late sowing reduces seedling wilt but increases seed rate by 25%.

Chickpea — Most Important Single Lines

• Scientific name of chickpea is Cicer arietinum.
• Chickpea belongs to family Fabaceae (Leguminosae).
• Chickpea is a Rabi pulse crop.
• Chickpea is a self-pollinated crop.
• Chickpea is a C3 plant.
• Origin of chickpea is South-West Asia (Near East).
• Chickpea has deep tap root system.
• Chickpea is moderately drought tolerant.
• Chickpea improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation.
• Chickpea forms symbiosis with Rhizobium ciceri.
• Chickpea is a long day plant.
• Chickpea is sensitive to waterlogging.
• Optimum temperature for growth is 20–25°C.
• Suitable soil is well drained loam to sandy loam.
• Seed rate of chickpea is 60–80 kg/ha (desi type).
• Kabuli chickpea requires higher seed rate (100–120 kg/ha).
• Recommended spacing is 30 × 10 cm.
• Chickpea is generally grown under rainfed conditions.
• Recommended fertilizer dose is 20:40:20 NPK kg/ha.
• Starter dose of nitrogen is required for early growth.
• Phosphorus promotes root development and nodulation.
• Biofertilizer used is Rhizobium culture.
• Most critical stage for irrigation is flowering and pod formation.
• Chickpea requires 1–2 irrigations under irrigated conditions.
• Chickpea is susceptible to frost injury.
• Major weed is Chenopodium album (Bathua).
• Common herbicide is Pendimethalin (pre-emergence).
• Most important pest is Gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera).
• Major diseases include Fusarium wilt and Ascochyta blight.
• Wilt is most destructive disease of chickpea.
• Chickpea pods are usually one or two seeded.
• Chickpea is rich in protein (18–22%).
• Chickpea is important source of dietary protein in India.
• Chickpea is used as dal, flour (besan), and green vegetable.
• Chickpea straw is used as nutritious fodder.
• Harvesting is done at physiological maturity.
• Moisture content at harvest should be around 20%.
• Storage moisture should be 10–12%.
• India is the largest producer of chickpea.
• Major chickpea producing states include Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra.
• Chickpea is also called Gram or Bengal gram.
• Desi chickpea has small dark seeds.
• Kabuli chickpea has large cream colored seeds.
• Chickpea is an important crop in pulse-based cropping systems.
• Chickpea helps improve soil structure.
• Chickpea residue adds organic matter to soil.
• Chickpea is sensitive to salinity.
• Chickpea has indeterminate growth habit.