🌾 Chickpea — Production Technology
Production technology of chickpea covering desi and kabuli types, sowing, moisture management, nodulation support, and major biotic stresses.
Chickpea is India’s leading pulse crop in Rabi, and practical management of sowing, moisture, nodulation, and pod borer pressure determines farm profitability. This lesson captures field-ready production recommendations.
Importance
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum), also known as Bengal gram or chana, is the most important pulse crop in India and globally.
- India's share: 70% of world chickpea production
- Area: ~10 million ha
- Production: ~12 million tonnes
- Major states: MP (35%), Rajasthan, Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka
Types of Chickpea
- Desi type (brown/black seeded): ~85% of Indian production; used for dal, besan
- Kabuli type (cream/white, large seeded): ~15%; used whole; higher market price
Climate and Soil
- Temperature: 15–25°C (optimum), sensitive to frost during flowering
- Rainfall: 60–90 cm (mostly residual soil moisture)
- Soil: Well-drained, sandy loam to clay loam, pH 6.0–8.0
- Unique feature: Deep tap root system (up to 2 m) — extracts moisture from deeper soil layers
Agronomic Practices
Sowing
- Time: October 15–November 15
- Seed rate: 60–80 kg/ha (desi), 80–100 kg/ha (kabuli)
- Spacing: 30 cm × 10 cm (rows × plants)
- Seed treatment: Carbendazim (2 g/kg) + Rhizobium + PSB inoculation
Nutrient Management
- Dose: 20-40-20 kg N-P₂O₅-K₂O/ha
- Being a legume, chickpea fixes 50–80 kg N/ha through Rhizobium symbiosis
- Starter nitrogen (20 kg/ha) promotes early growth
- Phosphorus is critical — enhances nodulation and nitrogen fixation
Water Management
- Chickpea is primarily a rainfed crop grown on residual moisture
- If irrigated: 1–2 light irrigations at pre-flowering and pod-filling
- Excess moisture is harmful: Promotes root rot (Fusarium) and luxuriant vegetative growth
- Raised bed planting in waterlogging-prone areas
Major Diseases
- Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri): Most devastating; use resistant varieties + seed treatment
- Ascochyta blight: Foliar disease in humid conditions; spray mancozeb
- Dry root rot: Occurs under terminal drought + high temperature stress
Major Pests
- Pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera): Most serious; use NPV, Bt, pheromone traps
- Cut worm: Seedling stage pest; chlorpyriphos soil drench
Yield: 15–25 q/ha (irrigated), 8–15 q/ha (rainfed)
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
| Crop role | Chickpea is India’s most important pulse crop |
| Types | Desi dominates production; Kabuli has premium market value |
| Nutrition | Low starter N + adequate P supports nodulation and yield |
| Moisture | Mostly residual moisture crop; avoid excess irrigation |
| Key biotic stress | Wilt and pod borer are major yield-limiting factors |
References
3 sources
References
ICAR chickpea production and protection recommendations.
AICRP pulse crop varietal and agronomy advisories.
State agriculture university chickpea package of practices.
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