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Check up on Chickpeas
Chickpea has a wide range of adaptation and can be grown from the Equatorial tropics to the temperate northern latitudes (50°N) of Russia and
yet yields are still relatively low. In the last 25 years, global production of chickpea has increased by only 25% despite the rise in popularity of
this crop which is now grown in 44 countries compared to 33 countries only 15 years ago.
 However, recent scientific developments have led to an increase in understanding of the chickpea crop. A greater range of cultivars is now
available which, if grown with new technologies should allow farmers to achieve greater yields and thus boost global
production.
Two types of chickpea are grown: desi, which is thought to have originated first and produces small, coloured (mostly brown) seeds and
kabuli which produces a larger, cream-coloured seed. Almost all the countries with high chickpea yields are producers of kabuli and yet
it is often more prone to climatic and disease stresses. India has remained the largest producer of chickpea over the last thirty years despite a
decline in its production due to competition from wheat and oil-seed crops which are grown in the winter months. In contrast, production has
significantly increased in Australia, Mexico and Turkey who have become major exporters of chickpea.
As with other crops, evaluation of chickpea germplasm over the last two decades has resulted in the identification of sources of resistance to
biotic (i.e. pests and diseases) and abiotic (e.g. climatic) stresses. ICRISAT
and ICARDA have led the collection and evaluation of chickpea germplasm. Over 25,000 accessions have been collected from 47 countries and sources of
resistance to all the important stresses of chickpea have been identified, and scientists from national chickpea breeding programmes have also
identified varieties resistant to stresses common in their countries. These materials are currently being used in breeding programmes throughout the
world but it is recognized that there is still a need to further develop genetic stocks with genes for resistance to multiple stresses.
Diseases
Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.), a fungal disease, is the most widespread and economically destructive disease of chickpea
and 100% losses are known to occur in susceptible varieties. In NW India, many farmers no longer grow chickpea due to recurrent blight epidemics but
it is hoped that many will return to chickpea cultivation once durable blight-resistant cultivars become commercially available. Scientists at the
pulse research station in Himachal Pradesh, India have identified a small-seeded, high-yielding, ascochyta blight-resistant cultivar, which has
exhibited stable resistance in trials conducted over six years. An attractive grain colour and good cooking qualities are also exhibited by this
variety which has been recommended by these scientists for release in the region.
Fusarium wilt (F. oxysporum f.sp ciceri), another major disease or chickpea, affects crops grown in tropical regions. The wilt pathogen
is both seed- and soil-borne and can survive in the soil, in the absence of chickpea, for more than six years. In Pakistan, the disease has reduced
the proportion of chickpea grown on irrigated lands from 50% to 10% during the last forty years. Hundreds of wilt-resistant lines have been bred in
India, Mexico and the USA and many of them are now cultivated on a large scale.
Botrytis gray mould (B. cinerea Pers.) affects crops grown in the sub-tropics and has caused particular devastation in parts of Bangladesh,
Nepal and northern India. Resistant lines have been identified and are being used in breeding programmes. For varieties that are not resistant to
this fungus it is recommended that chickpea is intercropped with linseed, which is resistant to the disease. |
Abiotic stresses
The major abiotic stresses (and the greatest source of variation in seed yield) in chickpea are cold, heat and drought. Of these, drought is the
major limiting factor for increased productivity, particularly as chickpea is usually grown as a post-rainy season crop. Drought stress can be
managed with irrigation, but this is not available to many chickpea growers. Advancing sowing dates in certain regions can alleviate the effect of
water stress and increase seed yield but the best results are achieved through growing drought-tolerant cultivars which are generally early maturing.
Chickpea crops are also particularly sensitive to salinity which is a major problem in India and Pakistan, where over 85% of the world's
chickpeas are grown. Scientists in both countries, and at ICRISAT in India, have identified salt tolerant genotypes but these lines do not generally
yield well. Lowering the water table through improved drainage can be effective in areas where the water table is high otherwise it is recommended
that chickpea should not be grown in salt-affected areas. |
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Pests
Nearly sixty insect pests are known to attack chickpea including pod borers, leaf miners, aphids and bruchids. However, Helicoverpa pod borers
are the most devastating insect pests of chickpea in the tropics and subtropics. For subsistence farmers, mixed cropping of chickpea with other
crops, such as wheat and mustard, can help to reduce losses. In many areas, early-sown crops are also known to suffer less damage than late sown
crops. Biological control of H.armigera is possible using sprays made from the naturally occurring nuclear polyhydrosis virus (NPV). Research
to improve effectiveness of these sprays is currently a major focus of ICRISAT and the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), UK as the few sprays
available commercially vary greatly in quality with the result that adoption by farmers has so far been rather limited.
In the Mediterranean and E. Europe, it is the leaf miner (Liriomyza cicerina) that causes the most insect damage. Efforts are currently
underway at ICARDA to breed lines that combine leaf miner resistance and high yield. Spraying with neem seed extract is relatively effective but the
persistence is limited. Studies in Syria have also identified a parasitic wasp (Opius sp.) that feeds on the leaf miner larvae but further
research is required before this insect can be used for biological control in the field. Early-sown crops, which are recommended as they produce
higher yields than late sown crops, are also less prone to leaf miner damage. |
Technologies for increasing production
Winter chickpea technology, developed by ICARDA for the Mediterranean region, has resulted in an estimated one million tonnes of additional chickpea
production. In Turkey, an earlier sowing of chickpea by about four weeks in spring has been shown to increase yields by up to 25%. Advanced sowing
dates are also now applied in California - USA, Chile and Australia. In addition, the use of broad beds, to avoid waterlogging, has permitted early
sowing of ascochyta blight-resistant cultivars in Ethiopia to produce an increased yield of 25%.
50 million hectares of land in South and West Asia are currently left fallow following the harvesting of rice or wheat. It is estimated that much of
this land could be brought under chickpea production as has been demonstrated by researchers in the Barind region of Bangladesh (see Focus On 99-4
'Seed priming') and in areas of Myanmar. Australian farmers have also begun to use fallow land following wheat production for legume
cultivation, including chickpea.
Mechanization of sowing and harvesting has allowed large-scale farmers in Syria, Australia and the USA to increase chickpea cultivation. However,
even simple funnel or mechanized seed drills can improve germination of seeds for small-scale farmers. |
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Despite the range of cultivars and technologies available for increased production, progress in chickpea cultivation has been slow. A major
limiting factor is the lack of a seed industry because few developing countries have facilities to multiply sufficient quantities of commercial
cultivars to meet farmers' needs. Information dissemination and extension about available cultivars and production practises also needs to be
improved. Without these major issues being addressed farmers will continue to miss out on benefits now available from the large investment in
chickpea research in recent years.
ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry
ICRISAT - International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Information sources:
Chickpeas by K.B. Singh & M.C. Saxena, ICARDA
Published by CTA, Macmillan and ICARDA (see In Print)
International Chickpea & Pigeonpea Newsletter 1999
Published by ICRISAT, ISSN 1023-4861
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