Cultivation of Chick Pea in India

Role of pulses in Indian agriculture needs hardly any emphasis; India is a premier pulse growing country. The pulses are the integral part of the cropping systems of the farmers all over the country because these crops fit in well in the crop rotation and crop mixtures followed by them. Pulses are important constituents of the Indian diet and supply major part of the protein requirements. Pulse crops, besides being rich in protein and some of the essential amino acids, enrich the soil through symbolic nitrogen fixation from atmosphere.

In India, the total food production in 1999-2000 was about 209 million tones, out of this only 13.4 million tones was contributed by pulses. The production of cereals increased by 460 per cent since 1950-51 the production of pulses has increased only 178 per cent. There is a shortage of pulses in the country. The price has increased considerably and the consumer is hard hit to buy his requirements. Thus, the availability of pulse per capita per day has proportionately declined from 71 g (1955) to 36.9 g (1998) against the minimum requirement of 70 g per capita per day. There is not much possibility of the import of pulses in the country. The production of pulses has to be increased internally to meet the demand.

Gram commonly known as 'chick pea' or Bengal gram is the most important pulse crop in India. Chick pea occupies about 38 per cent of area under pulses and contributes about 50 per cent of the total pulse production of India. It is used for human consumption as well as for feeding to animals. It is eaten both whole fried or boiled and salted or more generally in the form of split pulse which is cooked and eaten. Both husks and bits of the 'dal' are valuable cattle feed. Fresh green leaves are used as vegetable (sag). Straw of chick pea is an excellent fodder for cattle. The grains are also used as vegetable (chhole). Chick pea flour (besan) is used in the preparation of various types of sweets. Chick pea is considered to have medicinal effects and it is used for blood purification. Chick pea contains 21.1 per cent protein, 61.5 per cent carbohydrates, 4.5 per cent fat. It is rich in calcium, iron and niacin.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Chick pea has been known in this country for a long time. It is said to be one of the oldest pulses known and cultivated from ancient times both in Asia and in Europe. Its probable place of origin lies in south western Asia, which is in the countries lying to the north-west of India such as Afghanistan and Persia. According to Aykroid and Daughty (1964) the centre of origin of chick pea is eastern Mediterranean. According to De Candolle, the fact that gram gas a Sanskrit name would indicate that the crop has been under cultivation in India longer than in any other country.

AREA AND DISTRIBUTION

Chick pea is one of the important pulse crop of the world cultivated over an area of 12.0 million hectares with a production of about 9.2 million tones of grain (1999). The important gram growing countries are India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Burma and Turkey. India ranks first in the world in respect of production as well as acreage followed by Pakistan.

It is the most important pulse crop of India occupying an area of 6.3 million hectares with production of 5.1 million tones. The average yield of chick pea is only 806 kg per hectare. The major chick pea production areas are situated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab.

CLASSIFICATION

The Indian grams have been classified into two broader groups:

1.         Desi or Brown Gram (Cicer arientinum L.): In this group the color of the seed ranges from yellow to dark brown. Seed size is usually small. It is the most widely grown group. Plants are small with good branching ability. Chromosomes number is 2n = 14, 16.

2.         Kabuli or White Gram (Cicer kabulium): In this group the color of the seed is usually white. Grains are bold and attractive. Yield potential of this group is poor as compared to desi or brown gram. Plants are generally taller than the desi gram and stand more or less erect. The chromosome number is 2n = 16.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Chick pea belongs to family Leguminoseae. It is a small, much branched herbaceous plant rarely exceeding 60 centimeter height. The botanical description of main parts of gram plant is given as:

ROOT SYSTEM

Chick pea has a well developed root system. The roots usually include a central strong tap root, with numerous lateral branches that spread out in all directions in the upper layer of soils. There are numerous nodules on roots. The rhizobium bacteria present in these nodules fix up atmospheric nitrogen.

Stem

Stem is generally grayish in appearance. The stem is branched with granular hairs on it. The main branch in gram usually produces not more than one secondary shoot, but in some types the main branches may produce numerous lateral branches.

Leaves

The leaves are pinnately compound, usually with one terminal leaflet. The number as well as the size of the leaflet, however, varies in different types. There are 9-15 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets of the pinnate leaves are small, and have serrated edges. The leaves are covered with grandular hairs. The color of the leaves also varies; some being light green while other is green or dark green. Certain types possess leaflets with red margins.

Flowers

The flowers are typical papilionaceous consisting of five sepals, five petals comprised of one standard, two wings and two keels, ten stamens, nine fused to form one stamina column and one free and a carpel with the style borne laterally on the ovary. The flowers are usually solitary and are present in the axils of the leaves. They are of various colors from white to shades of pink or blue. Anthesis starts between 9 AM and 10AM and may continue up to 3 PM. The flowers remain open for two days, the flowering process being over early on the second day. Self pollination is the rule, but cross pollination may occur to the extent of about 5-10% due to agency of insects. The pod is about 2 cm long and usually contains two seeds. A single plant produces about 50 to 150 pods.

Seed

The seeds are spherical in shape, wrinkled and with a pointed beak. They vary a great deal in size as well as in color. Color of seed may vary from white, light fawn, yellowish-orange, brown, dark brownish and with a little bluish tinge. The seedcoat may be smooth or puckered and wrinkled. The cotyledons are thick and yellowish in color.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Chick pea is a winter season crop but severe cold and frost are injurious to it. Frost at the time of flowering results in the failure of the flowers to develop seeds or in the killing of the seeds inside the pod. It is generally grown under rain fed conditions but gives good returns in irrigated conditions as well. Excessive rains soon after sowing or at flowering and fruiting or hailstorms at ripening cause heavy loss. It is best suited to areas having moderate rainfall of 60-90 centimeters per annum.

SOIL

Chick pea is grown on a wide range of soils in India. In the north, gram is generally grown on moderately heavy soils. In Maharashtra and on the Deccan plateau, black cotton soils are used. Light soils, mostly sandy loams are preferred in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Though gram is grown on all kinds of soils, sandy loam to clay loam is considered to be most suitable. The best type of soil for chick pea is one that is well drained and not too heavy. On dry and light soils, the plants remain short while on heavy soils having high water retention capacity, the vegetative growth is abundant, light becomes limiting and fruiting is retarded. The soil chosen for its cultivation should be free from excessive soluble salts and near neutral in reaction. However, it is not suited to soils having a pH higher than 8.5.