Chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn.

) 2n= 14, 16(kabuli)

Introduction
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn.) commonly known as gram or Bengal gram is the most
important pulse crop in the Indian subcontinent. India is the largest producer as well as consumer
in the world. In winter season crop it represents about 30.93% of the total area under pulse
production & contributes 41.84 % of the total pulse production in the country. It is
predominantly rainfed crop, but can also grown in the irrigated areas.
Uses
Human consumption in several ways, Nutritious animal feed & fodder, green manuring &
soil fertility improvement, excellent cover crop against soil erosion.
It contains 17.1% protein, 5.3% fat, 60.9% carbohydrates, and 3.0% minerals in whole
grain and is fairly good source of thiamine, niacin, Riboflavin, Phosphorus (280 mg/100g),
calcium (149 mg/100g) and iron.
Origin and History
De Candolle(1986) considered that its place of origin area between Greece and
Himalayas. Vavilov (1926) postulated two centres of diversity, one in the Southwest Asia and
Mediterranean and Second in Ethiopia.
Distribution, Area and Production
Chickpea is the third most important grain legume in the world after dry beans and dry
peas. Its cultivation is mainly done in India, Pakistan, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, Iran, Australia,
Tanzania, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria, Bangladesh and Spain. Asia contributes about 90 % of the
global area and production. Globally, chickpea is cultivated on about 13.20 million Ha and
produces 11.62 million tones with an average productivity of 880 kg/ha. India stands first in
terms of area (68%) and production (70%). However, its productivity is slightly less than the
productivity of counties Like Turkey (1046kg/ha), Mexico (1536 kg/ha) and Canada (1340
kg/ha).
Beside India is also largest consumer as well as importer of chickpea in the world. In
India, chickpea is grown on about 9.21 million ha producing 8.88 million tons of grain with
productivity of 995 kg/ha. Area wise major chickpea growing states are Madhya Pradesh (3040),
Rajasthan (1430), Maharashtra (1050), Karnataka (800), Uttar Pradesh (580), Andhra Pradesh
(570) in descending order. Whereas productivity wise they are Uttar Pradesh (1248 kg/ha),
Gujarat (1138 kg/ha), Bihar (1134 kg/ha), Madhya Pradesh (1081 kg/ha), Punjab (1000 kg/ha)
Rajasthan (990 kg/ha), Andhra Pradesh (920 kg/ha) etc.
Factors Limiting Chickpea productivity
Marginal Lands, Poor soil fertility, Low yield potentials of cultivars, Poor agronomic
management, Inferior plant type, Soil water stress and lack of irrigation facilities, poor plant
stand poor pest management etc.
Botanical Description

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 It is small herbaceous plant height rarely exceeds 60 cm height. It has tap root & well
developed lateral root systems. Leaves are pinnate, self fertilization, germination of seed is
hypogeal. Chickpea crop has three cultivated types: Desi, Desi Bold seeded and bigger seeded
Kabuli type.
1. Desi type (Cicer arietinum L.): Its seeds are usually yellow, brown, black or green to yellow
in colour. Seeds are wrinkled & normally small in size(20g/100 seeds) and Desi bold seeded
size (> 20g/100 seeds)
2. Kabuli type (Cicer kabulium): usually white-salmon in colour. Seeds are bold(25g/100
seeds), poor yielder as compared to desi type. It is usually grown in Afghanistan, Iran and
Mediterranean counties.
Varieties of chickpea with some specific traits

Wilt resistance /tolerance: Avrodhi, KWR 108, JG 315, JG 74, ICCV 10, Pusa 256,
ICCC 37, Vishwas, Vijay, Vishal and Channa 1

Ascochyta blight Gaurav, Vardan, Samrat, PBG 1 and BG 261

resistance/tolerance:

Short duration varieties BG 372, KPG 59, Pant G 186, ICCV 2, ICCV 10, BGM 547, Vijay,
Rajas and JG 11
(90 100 days):

Kabuli Varieties: KAK 2, BG 1053, BG 1003, JGK 1, PhuleG 95311 and Virat

Salt Tolerance: CSG 8962

Excessive Moisture DCP 92-3, HC 3 and HC 5

tolerance:

Prominent features of important chickpea varieties:

Desi Type: Alok, Annegeri 1, Avrodhi, B 75, B 98, B 108(Mahamaya 1), BDN 9-3, Bharati
(ICCV 10), BG 203, BG 240, BGD 128, BGM 408, BGM 413, BGM 547, BR 77,
BR 78, C 214, C 235, Chaffa, C 235, Chanatkar (BG 1053), CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO
4, Dahod Yellow, DCP 92-3, Dharwar Pragati (BGD 72), Gaurav, G 24, G 130, G
543, Green Gram 1, GL 769, GNG 146, GPF 2(GF 89-36), Gujarat Gram 1, Gujarat
Gram 2, Gujarat Gram 4, Haryana Channa 1, Hirwa Chaffa, H 208, H 355, ICCC 4,
IPC 97-67, JAKI 92-18, JG 1, JG 11, JG 5, JG 62, JG 74, JG 218, JG 221, JG 315,
JG 322, JGG1, Jyoti, Karnal Channa 1, Kiran, K468, K850, Kranti, KWR 108,NP
17, NP 25, NP 28, NP 58, PB 7, Pant G 114, Pant G 186, PBG 1, PBG 3, Phule G
12, Pragati, Pusa 209, Pusa 212, Pusa 240, Pusa 261, Pusa 256, Pusa 267, Pusa 329,
Pusa 362, Pusa 372, Pusa 391 Pusa 408, RS 10, RS 11, Radhey, RAU 52, RSG 44,
RSG 959, S 355, S 26, Sadabahar, Sadbhavana, Surya, Sweta,ST 4, T 1,T 2, T3,

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 Udai(KPG 59), Ujjain 21, Vardan (GNG 663), Vijay (Phule G 81-1-1), Vikas (Phule
G 2), Vishal (Phule G 87207) Vishwas (Phule G 5) etc.

Kabuli Type: BG 261, BG 1053(Chanatkar), Gora Hisari, HK 94-134, ICCC32, JGK 1, K 4, K 5,

L 144, L 155, L 550, L 551, Phule G 9425-9, Pusa Kabuli 1003(BG 1003) etc.

Green Type: Hare Chole 1

Climatic requirement
It requires cool climate for its proper growth and development and high temp. for
maturity. Severe cold & frost are injurious particularly during flowering and seed development.
In such areas early sowing & preventive measures against frost help the crop to escape from the
frost injury. Optimum temperature for the crop varies from 18 o to 22o C. However, it can be
grown in temp. range of 2-30o C. The Crop is poor adapted to high temperature. Early summer
heat shortens the growth period, hastens maturity & reduces the yield. The crop is best suited to
areas having moderate annual rainfall ranging from 650 to 1000 mm. Heavy showers after
sowing or during flowering and also hail storm during and after flowering causes severe damage
to the crop. High humidity encourages IPD.
Soil Requirement
It can be grown on a wide range of soil from sandy loam to clay loam. The best soil is
one that is well drained, but water retentive. Heavy soil, but not too heavy may suit the crop.
Black soil may provide good seed bed provided it is well drained. In high rainfall areas loam or
sandy loam are suitable. The optimum pH range should be 6.0 and 6.5. the crop is sensitive to
saline and alkali soils.
Land Preparation
Chickpea does not require a fine seedbed. Cloddy field in heavier soil is desirable as it
encourages free drainage and good aeration of the surface soil layers. Heavy soil usually lead to
excessive soil water retention or water logging conditions during heavy rains. The soil should be
well opened and loosened for better aeration and this assures in reducing incidence of wilt
diseases, weed suppression and better yield performance.
Sowing Time: Mid Oct. to First week of November
Depth of sowing: 4-6 cm
Spacing: 30 cm x 10 cm (Late sown) or 45 cm X 10 cm (Early & Spreading type var.)
Seed Rate: 45-60 kg/ha (Normal seed size) whereas 75 to 100 kg/ha (Bold or Kabuli seed)
Seed Treatment:
 Carbendazim, Thiram, Captan & Brassicol to control seed borne diseases @
0.2-0.3gfungicide/kg seed
 Water soaking of seed was found desirable in rainfed areas

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 Overnight soaking of seed in 5% soluatio of potassium chloride(KCL) for 12 hrs resulted
significantly highest plant height, dry weight of roots, numbers & dry weight of
nodules/plant, grains/pod, and 100-seed weight of chickpea over untreated control.
 Inoculation of seed with Bradyrhizobium sp. before sowing is necessary to boost the up
nodulation and crop yield.
 Seeds inoculated with Rhizobium + PSB increased the yield of chickpea over untreated seeds
Fertilizer Management
10-20 kg N/ha as a starter dose: 40-60 Kg/haP 2O5 : 20 kg K2O/ha: 20 kg S/ha: 1 kgMo
(Molbdenum)/ha:
Water management
 Four to six leaves stage; branching and pod formation stages of chickpea are the most
critical stages for irrigation.
NIPPING OF TIP:
 Nipping of apex shoot of at 30-45 DAS showing is desirable as it regulate lateral
branches and gives higher yield over the control(No Nipping).
Cropping system
 Sown mixed with wheat, barley, linseed, toria, safflower, taramira, rapeseed & mustard.
Some time it is intercropped such as : Chickpea+ Mustard (1:1), Chickpea+ Wheat(2:2),
Chickpea+ Mustard (2:2) etc.
Sequential Cropping
 Rice-Chickpea, Maize-Chickpea, and sorghum-Chickpea in the Northern plain zone
 Rice-Chickpea and pearlmillet-Chickpea in Eastern plain zone
 Sorghum-Chickpea and pearlmillet-chickpea in central Zone
Weed management (reduces yield from 50 -87 % due weeds infestation)
 Two hand weedings at 30 and 60 DAS gave result comparable to weed free condition.
 Tok E 25 at 1.5 kg a.i./ha or
 Alachlor at 1.0 kg a.i./ha or
 Nitrofen at 1.5kg a.i./ha or
 Trifluralin at 1.0 kg a.i./ha or
Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg a.i./ha

Yield: 22-25q/ha

Major insects of Chickpea

1. Gram Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera)

Damage: It is the most dangerous pest of gram. The young larvae feed on the
chlorophyll of young leaves and skeletinize it. High population of larvae tends to defoliate the
whole plant. During the podding stage the larvae bore inside the pod by making hole and then
feed on the developing grain.

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Cultural Control:
 Deep summer ploughing in 2-3 years.
 Late sowing should be avoided.
 Inter cropping with linseed or wheat 2:1.
 Avoid closer plant spacing.
 Irrigated crop is comparatively more infested.
 Recommended doses of fertilizers should be applied.
 Sow trap crops like marigold at 50 plants/acre
Mechanical Control:
 Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for each insect pest.
 Install Bird perches @ 50/ha.
 Clip terminal shoots on 100 days of crop growth.
 Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population
Biological Control:
 Releasing of  Trichogramma chlionis at weekly intervals @1.5 lakh/ha/ week for four
times.
 Conserve green lacewing, predatory stink bugs, spider, ants etc.
 Application of NPV 250 LE /ha with teepol 0.1% and Jaggery 0.5% @1kg /ha thrice at
10-15 days interval on observing the eggs or first instars larvae.
 Release Campoletis chloridae (parasite) from November to March to attack early instars
of Helicoverpa.
 Neem seed extract 5% with 1% soap solution is found effective.
 Release Trichogramma parasites @ (20,000/acre), Bacillus thuringenisis (soil bacteria),
NPV (virus)
 Release Beauveria bassiana (fungi), NPV is more effective in cloudy weather.
Chemical Control:
 Apply chemical insecticides only if the insect population crosses theeconomic threshold
level (ETL)
 Take control measures when population exceeds ETL.
 Spray insecticides like deltamethrin 2.8 EC @ 750 ml/ha., Quinalphos 25 EC @ 1000
ml/ha., Profenophos 50 EC @ 1500 ml/ha., Chlorpyriphos 20 EC (200 ml) + acephate
100 ml/ha, Indazacarb 1.5 ml/lt water
2. Gram cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon)
Damage:

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  The caterpillar hides during the day and come out in the evening for damage. They
remain in the soil at a depth of 2-4 inches.
 The caterpillars cut the tender plants at the base, and branches or stems of growing plants.
 The caterpillars drag the cut parts into soil for feeding.
Cultural Control:
 Deep summer ploughing.
 Use well decomposed organic manure.
 Adapt crop rotation.
 Early sowing in the last week of October.
 Intercropping with wheat or Linseed or Mustard reduces infestation.
 In the early stages pick the insects and destroy.
 Do not grow Tomato or Lady Finger in nearby field.
 Grow Marigold on bunds
Mechanical Control:
 The adult insects can be controlled by light traps.
Biological Control:
 Conserve Braconids, Microgaster sp., bracon kitcheneri, fileanta ruficanda (parasitods)
and broscus punctatus, liogryllus bimaculatus (predators).
Chemical Control:
 Apply chemical insecticides only if the insect population crosses the economic threshold.
 Deltamethrin 2.8 EC @ 750 ml/ha. OR
Quinalphos 25 EC @ 1000 ml/ha. OR
Profenophos 50 EC @ 1500 ml/ha.

Disease Management in Chickpea

1. Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum):
Damage:
 The disease can affect the crop at any stage.
 The field symptoms of wilt are dead seedlings or adult plants, usually in patches.
 At seedling stage, 3-5 weeks after sowing, whole seedlings collapse and lie flat on the
ground with dull green leaves and shrunken stem.
 Dark drown or dark discoloration of the internal stem tissues is visible.
 At adult stage, drooping of petioles, rachis and leaflets and finally entire plant occurs.

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Control:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Grow cultivars resistant to wilt
 Practice soil solarization
 In fields with a history of Fusarium do not grow gram for 3 years.
 Follow crop rotation measures continuously.
 Always use disease free seeds.
 Avoid sowing when temperatures are high.
 Follow 6-year crop rotations with sorghum
 Apply FYM 10-15 cart load/ha.
 Apply Trichoderma viride @ 4 g/kg seed reduces disease incidence.
 Seed treatment with Carbendazin at the rate of 2.5g/kg of seed.
 Seed treatment with Thiram + Carbandizm @ 1g+2g per kg of seed.
 Carboxin + thiram 1:2 at the rate of 3g/kg of seed.
2. Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei):
Damage:
 All plant parts are affected.
 Symptoms appear on leaves as water soaked lesions.
 Symptoms include smaller circular brown spots on leaves.
 Under favorable conditions, these spots enlarge rapidly and coalesce, blighting the leaves
and buds.
 In case of severe infection, the entire plant dries up suddenly.
 The lesions are also developed on stems and petioles.
 Late infections result in shriveled and infected seed.
Control:
 Sow disease-free seed.
 Late sowing
 Follow rotation crop.
 Deep sowing (15 cm or deeper)
 Intercrop with wheat, barley, mustard
 Use resistant varieties
 Remove and destroy dead plant debris.
 Bury diseased debris 10 cm or deeper.
 Seed treatment with carbendazim @ 3g/kg of seed. OR

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  Hot water seed treatment (52 C for 10 min) to lower the infestation.
 Spray the crop with mancozeb @ 3g/l if noticed during the growth period. OR
 Spray wettable sulphur at the rate of 2.3g/litre of water

3. Botrytis gray mold (Botrytis cineria):

Damage:
 Lack of pod setting is the first indication.
 Under favourable conditions, foliage shows symptoms and plants often die in patches.
 Shedding of flowers and leaves, covered with spore mass can be seen.
 Lesions on stem are 10-30 mm long and girdle the stem fully.
 Tender branches break off at the point where the gray mold has caused rotting.
 Affected flowers turn in to a rotting mass.
 Lesions on the pod are water-soaked and irregular.
On infected plants, the pods contain either small, shriveled seeds or no seeds at all.
Control:
 Avoid excessive vegetative growth.
 Intercrop with linseed.
 Avoid excessive irrigation.
 Use compact varieties.
 Deep summer ploughing
 Reduce plant density and increase in air passage between the plants.
 Use Trichoderma spp. as a bio-control agents Seed treatment with Carbendazim + Thiram
(1:1) @ 3g/kg of seed is recommended. OR
 Spray the crop with captan 5 - 6 kg/ha at 15 days interval. OR
 Spray of Carbendazim @ 1.5g/l of water is recommended. OR
 Spray mancozeb @3 g/litre of water.

4. Collar rot (Sclerotium rolfsii):

Damage:
 It comes in the early stages i.e up to six weeks from sowing.
 Drying plants whose foliage turns slightly yellow before death, scattered in the field is an
indication of the disease.
 Seedling becomes chlorotic.
 The joint of stem & root turns soft slightly contracts and begins to decay.

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  Infected parts turn brown white.
 Black dots, like mustard in shape known as sclerotia are seen appearing on the white
infected plant parts

Control:
 Deep pluoghing in summer.
 Avoid high moisture at the sowing time.
 Seedlings should be protected from excessive moisture. Destroy the residues of last crop
and weed before sowing and after harvest.
 All un decomposed matter should be removed from the field before land preparation.
 Treat the seeds with a mixture of Carbendazim 1.5g and Thiram 1.5g per kg of seed

5. Dry root rot (Rhizoctonia bataticola):

Damage:
 The disease appears from flowering to podding stage as scattered dried plants.
 The leaves and stem are become straw colored.
 Affected plants wither and spread across the entire field.
 The roots of infected plants become brittle and dry.
Control:
 Deep ploughing in summer
 Grow cultivars resistant to dry root rot.
 Drought should be avoided.
 Sowing should always be done on the recommended time.
 Germinating and young seedlings should be saved from high temperatures