Districtwise Promising Technologies for Rainfed Chickpea based Production System in India

Abstract

Chickpea, Bengal gram (Bengalgram) or Gram (Cicer arietinum L.) is a premier crop of India grown in diverse agro-climatic conditions under various cropping systems. Botanical and archaeological evidences suggest that chickpea was first domesticated in the middle east as early as 5450 BC and subsequently spread to India, Europe, Australia and other regions of the World. Van der Massen (1987) suggested Southeastern part of Turkey adjoining Syria as possible center of origin. In India the records of chickpea cultivation date back to 2000 BC at Atranjikhera (UP) and 300-100 BC at Nevasa (Maharashtra). In India, it is mainly grown now in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, etc. It is used in many forms as dal, chhole, sweets and many attractive dishes. Snacks are prepared from its flour. Its leaves contain malic and citric acid, which are very useful for stomach ailments and it is best blood purifier. Nutritionally it is very rich as it contains about 18-22 percent protein, 62 per cent carbohydrate, and good amount of fat; besides it is a rich source of Ca, Fe and vitamin C (in green stage) and vitamin B1. Its feed and straw are highly rich in nutrients and are mostly used as productive ration. Being a leguminous and hardy crop chickpea does very well under dry tracts, which receive an annual rainfall of 60-100 cm. It prefers fairly cold weather but frost is deadly harmful, especially at flowering and grain formation stages. Hailstorm at maturity causes great damage to the crop. Chickpea is grown on a variety of soils ranging from a very light sandy loam to heavy textured clay. In Maharashtra chickpea is grown on black cotton soils. The best type of soil is clay loam with an efficient drainage and free from soluble salts preferably having neutral pH. Chickpea is grown in 6.8 m ha in 346 districts out of which 5.3 m ha is rainfed. About 85% of the rainfed area (3.4 m ha) is in 85 districts