Chickpea — Package of Practices
A cool-season rabi pulse that fixes its own nitrogen — sow into a drying seedbed, avoid excess water, and keep a close watch for pod borer and wilt.
Overview
Chickpea (gram) is a major cool-season rabi pulse grown for its protein-rich seed. It fixes nitrogen, tolerates dry conditions, and dislikes excess moisture.
Keeping the crop on the drier side, with light nitrogen and good phosphorus, plus a firm watch for pod borer and wilt, is the path to a clean harvest.
Climate & season
Chickpea needs cool, dry weather (about 15–25 °C).
- A rabi crop sown as temperatures fall.
- Tolerates drought; dislikes excess moisture and frost at flowering.
- Bright, dry weather at pod-fill gives clean seed.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a well-drained loam to clay loam at pH 6.0–8.0.
- Prepare a rough, moisture-conserving seedbed.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Avoid waterlogging at all costs.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose between small-seeded (desi) and bold-seeded (kabuli) types to suit the market. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Desi types: 75–80 kg/ha.
- Bold (kabuli) types: about 100 kg/ha.
- Sow 5–8 cm deep into moist soil.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide, then a Rhizobium culture for chickpea.
- This guards seedlings and boosts nitrogen fixation.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow as the season cools, into a moisture-rich seedbed.
- Keep rows 30 cm apart.
- Space plants about 10 cm within the row.
- Sow 5–8 cm deep so roots reach stored moisture.
- Pinch (nip) tips at early branching to encourage more pods where vigorous.
Nutrient management
As a legume the crop fixes much of its own nitrogen, so heavy nitrogen is wasteful; give only a light starter dose with good phosphorus. A Rhizobium seed treatment improves fixation.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) | 20 kg/ha | Light starter only |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) key | 40–50 kg/ha | Drives roots, nodules & pods |
| Sulphur | Apply if deficient | Improves seed quality |
Water management
Mostly grown on stored moisture; water sparingly and only when needed.
- If irrigating, the safe stages are pre-flowering and pod development.
- Avoid irrigation during heavy vegetative growth.
- Excess water causes wilt and flower drop.
Weed management
- Give one or two shallow weedings in the first 30–45 days.
- A recommended pre-emergence herbicide helps on weedy land.
- Do not deep-hoe — it disturbs surface roots and nodules.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pod borer | Pest | Caterpillars boring into pods, holed pods | Pheromone traps, bird perches, Bt or recommended insecticide at threshold |
| Cutworm | Pest | Seedlings cut at the base at night | Clean fields, flooding, recommended bait if severe |
| Wilt | Disease | Sudden wilting, browning of vascular tissue | Resistant types, rotation, seed and soil treatment with a bio-agent |
| Ascochyta / Botrytis blight | Disease | Spots and rotting in cool humid spells | Clean seed, spacing, recommended fungicide |
| Root rots | Disease | Patchy seedling death | Treated seed, good drainage |
- Sow treated seed of a wilt-tolerant type after a non-host crop.
- Set pheromone traps and bird perches for pod borer.
- Scout weekly from flowering; act at the threshold.
- Spray only when needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when plants dry, leaves turn brown and pods are mature, generally 95–120 days.
- Thresh and dry the seed for safe storage.
- Yields of about 1.5–2.5 t/ha are achievable with good management.
Related crops
Chickpea — Package of Practices
A cool-season rabi pulse that fixes its own nitrogen — sow into a drying seedbed, avoid excess water, and keep a close watch for pod borer and wilt.
Overview
Chickpea (gram) is a major cool-season rabi pulse grown for its protein-rich seed. It fixes nitrogen, tolerates dry conditions, and dislikes excess moisture.
Keeping the crop on the drier side, with light nitrogen and good phosphorus, plus a firm watch for pod borer and wilt, is the path to a clean harvest.
Climate & season
Chickpea needs cool, dry weather (about 15–25 °C).
- A rabi crop sown as temperatures fall.
- Tolerates drought; dislikes excess moisture and frost at flowering.
- Bright, dry weather at pod-fill gives clean seed.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a well-drained loam to clay loam at pH 6.0–8.0.
- Prepare a rough, moisture-conserving seedbed.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Avoid waterlogging at all costs.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose between small-seeded (desi) and bold-seeded (kabuli) types to suit the market. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Desi types: 75–80 kg/ha.
- Bold (kabuli) types: about 100 kg/ha.
- Sow 5–8 cm deep into moist soil.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide, then a Rhizobium culture for chickpea.
- This guards seedlings and boosts nitrogen fixation.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow as the season cools, into a moisture-rich seedbed.
- Keep rows 30 cm apart.
- Space plants about 10 cm within the row.
- Sow 5–8 cm deep so roots reach stored moisture.
- Pinch (nip) tips at early branching to encourage more pods where vigorous.
Nutrient management
As a legume the crop fixes much of its own nitrogen, so heavy nitrogen is wasteful; give only a light starter dose with good phosphorus. A Rhizobium seed treatment improves fixation.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) | 20 kg/ha | Light starter only |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) key | 40–50 kg/ha | Drives roots, nodules & pods |
| Sulphur | Apply if deficient | Improves seed quality |
Water management
Mostly grown on stored moisture; water sparingly and only when needed.
- If irrigating, the safe stages are pre-flowering and pod development.
- Avoid irrigation during heavy vegetative growth.
- Excess water causes wilt and flower drop.
Weed management
- Give one or two shallow weedings in the first 30–45 days.
- A recommended pre-emergence herbicide helps on weedy land.
- Do not deep-hoe — it disturbs surface roots and nodules.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pod borer | Pest | Caterpillars boring into pods, holed pods | Pheromone traps, bird perches, Bt or recommended insecticide at threshold |
| Cutworm | Pest | Seedlings cut at the base at night | Clean fields, flooding, recommended bait if severe |
| Wilt | Disease | Sudden wilting, browning of vascular tissue | Resistant types, rotation, seed and soil treatment with a bio-agent |
| Ascochyta / Botrytis blight | Disease | Spots and rotting in cool humid spells | Clean seed, spacing, recommended fungicide |
| Root rots | Disease | Patchy seedling death | Treated seed, good drainage |
- Sow treated seed of a wilt-tolerant type after a non-host crop.
- Set pheromone traps and bird perches for pod borer.
- Scout weekly from flowering; act at the threshold.
- Spray only when needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when plants dry, leaves turn brown and pods are mature, generally 95–120 days.
- Thresh and dry the seed for safe storage.
- Yields of about 1.5–2.5 t/ha are achievable with good management.