Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea is a self pollinating, diploid (2n=2x=16) with genome size 1C=740 Mbp.

Chickpea, the world’s third most important food legume, is currently grown on about 11 m ha, with 96% cultivation in the developing countries. Chickpea production has increased during the past 30 years from 7.3 m t (average of 1977-1979 triennium) to 8.4 m t (average of 2004-06 triennium) because of increase in productivity from 693 to 786 kg ha^-1 during this period.

South and South-East Asia

• This region contributes about 80% to the global chickpea production, and India is the principal chickpea producing country (83% share in the region). The chickpea area marginally declined from 9.3 m ha to 9.0 m ha during the triennium 1975-77 to 2004-06 (Figure 1). However, production slightly increased from 6.0 to 6.7 m t and productivity from 642 to 733 kg ha^-1 during this period. Severe drought in several parts of India during 2001 to 2003 led to sudden decline in chickpea area during that triennium.

Figure 1. Three-year moving average for chickpea area, production, and grain yield; and number of varieties released based on ICRISAT-bred material in South and South- East Asia.

• There has been a major shift in chickpea area (about 2.5 m ha) from northern India (cooler, long-season environments) to southern India (warmer, short-season environments) during the past four decades (Figure 2). The short-duration cultivars developed through ICRISAT-NARS partnerships have played a key role in expanding area and productivity of chickpea in central and southern India.

Figure 2. Regional shift in chickpea area from Northern India to Central and Southern India (Three year moving average).

• An example is the phenomenal increase in area and productivity of chickpea in Andhra Pradesh state of southern India, largely because of the adoption of fusarium wilt resistant, short-duration varieties. During the past 10 years (1996/97 to 2005/06), the chickpea area has increased 3.7 times (from 106,000 ha to 394,000 ha), yield has increased 1.9 times (853 to 1596 kg/ha), and the production has increased 7-times (90,000 t to 629,000 t).

• ICRISAT-bred chickpea cultivars covered 82% of chickpea area in Myanmar during 2005-06. Adoption of improved cultivars has led to increase in area and productivity of chickpea. During the past decade (1995-96 to 2005-06), the chickpea area in Myanmar increased by 23.5% (from 166,000 to 205,000 ha), production has increased 2.6 times (from 92,000 t to 239,000 t) and yields have almost doubled (from 588 to 1171 kg ha^-1). Myanmar has emerged as an important exporter of chickpea.

Eastern Africa

New cultivars that combine early maturity and resistance to Fusarium wilt have been rapidly adapted in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan and Kenya. This led to increase in area from 0.22 m ha to 0.34 m ha, production from 0.12 to 0.24 m t and productivity from 0.58 to 0.70 t ha^-1 during the period 1975-77 to 2004-06 (Figure 3). The chickpea export by Eastern Africa has substantially increased after 2001 and ranged between 13,000 to 89,000 t per year.

The introduction of new large-seeded kabuli cultivars in Eastern Africa, particularly Ethiopia, opened new opportunities for farmers for earning extra income through export of these high-valued chickpeas.

Figure 3. Three-year moving average for chickpea area, production, and grain yield; and number of varieties released (3 year total) based on ICRISAT-bred material in eastern Africa.

Cultivars released

Sixty-six cultivars based on improved germplasm developed by ICRISAT have been released in different countries - India (34), Bangladesh (6), Ethiopia (9), Sudan (4), Myanmar (5), Nepal (3), Pakistan (1), Kenya (1) Australia (2) and USA (1).