Chickpea yield per acre per hectare | Chickpea cultivation project report

Approximately 8 to 10 quintals of chickpeas are produced in 1 acre. Net profit of Rs 31000 can be achieved by selling the crop at Rs 50 per kg. You can check out the project report for indepth information.

Quick points – Yield of chickpea per acre 8 to 10 quintals, seed rate per acre 30 to 45 kg, profit per acre Rs 31,000.

The Chickpea is an annual legume belonging to the family “Fabasia” and subfamily ‘Faboideae’. It is quite popular as Bengal gram and some other different names are Gram, Garbanzo, Garbanzo Bean and Egyptian pea. The botanical name of the chickpea is “Cicer arietinum L.”

Chickpea introduction

Chickpea in Hindi is known as chana, it is a high-protein legume that also contains a bunch of minerals and other important nutrients. It is popularly known as “Bengal gram” or gram. It is majorly used in Indian dishes such as chana masala, soups, salads, stews and curry. These beans are majorly consumed as pulses and vegetables for human food and also used as livestock fodder, especially for horses.

It is a powerful pulse, you must add it to your food habits, especially “Raw Chickpeas”. You must have seen horses are often fed by raw black chickpeas and we all know “HorsePower”. Horses usually sleep in standing positions and often run very fast without panting like dogs.

Project Report

Cost per acre

• Seed cost per acre = Rs 800.
• Land preparation cost = Rs 2500.
• Plant protection charges = Rs 1200.
• Fertiliser cost = Rs 2000.
• Harvesting cost = Rs 1500.
• Miscellaneous = Rs 1000.
• Total cost = Rs 9000 (120.05 USD).

Profit margin in 1 acre

• 1 acre = 8 to 10 quintals of chickpeas or 800 kg to 1000 kg.
• 1 kg chickpeas price in India varies between Rs 50 to Rs 200 according to varieties
• Let’s take the Rs 50 per kg.
• Chickpea yield per acre = Approx 8 quintals.
• Profit = Rs 50 x 800 kg = Rs 40,000.
• Net Profit= Cost – Profit.
• Net Profit = Rs 9000 – Rs 40,000.
• Net Profit = Rs 31000 (413.56 USD).

Note – This is the assumption of the project report and the actual figure may differ accordingly.

Production in India

In 2019 India produced a massive quantity of chickpeas and was able to produce 70% of the world’s. This was possible because of good farm management practices of plants and seed production. Chickpea cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and major parts of South India is done on a large scale.

This legume is grown in more than 50 countries in the world. While in India chickpea cultivation in Madhya Pradesh has an extra advantage due to the ‘Madhya Pradesh Government Schemes for Farmers’ and therefore holds the first position as well. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are major legume-growing states in India.

Best practices

Varieties

Chickpea is classified into two varieties based on the thickness, shape, colour and size of the seeds. 

Desi and Kabuli chickpea

Desi chickpeas – They are majorly cultivated in India and Bangladesh. The seeds are smaller in size, angular in shape with thick coats.

Kabuli chickpeas – They were introduced to India in the 18th century and are larger in size with a thin coat. They are different in colour from white to tan and majorly cultivated in Europe, Africa Pakistan, Chile and Afghanistan. 

Desi chickpeas versus Kabuli chickpeas

In comparison to Kabuli chickpeas, desi chickpeas are high in fibre content and low in glycemic index (GI). 

Growing states India 

Chickpea cultivation in India is majorly done in South India. Apart from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, its cultivation in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is also done majorly. Moreover, in comparison to North India, its cultivation in South India has more edge because the number of chickpea growers is more in the South Indian region.

Chickpea production by State – Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Rajasthan.

Local names

Chana (Hindi), Chana sabut (Urdu), Buta (Oriya), Chole (Punjabi), Channa (Gujarati), Kadala (Malayalam), Chola (Bengali), Kadale (Kannada), Harbare (Marathi), Kadalai (Tamil), Senagalu (Telugu). 

Hybrid varieties

Hybrid Desi Varieties – Avrodhi, Pant G-186, Gaurav, Uday (KP-75), Gora Hisar, K 850, Annegri-1, PUSA-209, BDN-9-3, RS-11, RS-10, ST-4, B-124BR-78, C-3, Phule G-5, C-235, G-543, C-235, Radhey, H-355, Haryana Chana, Pant G-114, H-208, Pusa – 256, Pusa – 362, Pusa – 372, J G – 315

Hybrid Kabuli Chana Variety – Sadabahar, Pusa-053, C-104, L-144, L-550, Pusa-1003.

Climate condition

This bean crop prefers moisture conditions. Winter is considered a growing season however, the crop does not tolerate frost during the flowering stage due to seed development damage risk. 

Growing season – Winter.

Temperature – The optimum temperature for final germination is between 10°C to 15°C. Chana crop grows well in moisture conditions and the ideal temperature is between 24°C to 30°C.

Water need

It need 65 cm to 95 cm rainfall annually to thrive in a better way and produce quality chickpea yield per acre. Excessive rain is not good at the time of sowing, flowering stage and seed maturity stage, it will result in heavy crop damage.

Irrigation levels – The crop requires light irrigation and irrigation can be managed through the rain as well. However, proper irrigation scheduling can result in a good yield. In case of no rains follow the schedule as 1 irrigation at the pre-flowering stage, 1 irrigation at the flowering stage and 1 irrigation at the pod developing stage. While under irrigation conditions pre-sowing irrigation is required for better germination of seeds. Remember it is not able to tolerate water stagnation in the field therefore provide a proper internal drainage system for the field.

Soil

This crop is able to grow on a wide range of soils. However, fertile sandy loam to clay loamy soil with good drainage is the preferred soil type. Moreover, they grow moderately on heavy soils, black cotton soils and sandy loam soils.

Land preparation

A couple of ploughing is necessary for preparing the land for each type of soil. For preparing the land with heavy soil rough seedbeds are prepared for easy seedling germination and to accommodate soil aeration. Land should be prepared before monsoon to retain sufficient moisture in the soil beds. Even, if you are doing mixed cropping, meaning other cereals along with chickpea crops in the same field, prepare the land before the monsoon. Farming tools like spades and tractors can be used to maintain the ground.

Not only organic cultivation of vegetables but also organic farming of pulses are gaining popularity day by day and before land preparation, you can check organic cultivation of tomato.

Propagation method

It is cultivated through seeds or seedlings (plants).

• Seed rate – 30 kg to 45 kg per acre and 80 to 115 kg per hectare.
• Plants – 24 to 28 plants per square metre are considered for chickpea cultivation in India.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer management is one of the most important assets for booking a higher yield. Chickpea yield per plant mostly depends on the scheduled fertilizer applications. Fertilizer requirements can be divided according to the soil quality or fertility of the soil. In poor soil, this crop requires well-rotted farmyard manure (FYM).

The recommended dose of fertilizer is Nitrogen 25 kg/ha, Phosphorus 125 to 150 kg/ha and Diammonium phosphate 125 to 150 kg/ha. Dig the soil about 8 cm deep and you can use a garden hole digging drill tool from Amazon at the price between $2 to $5. It is recommended to apply the above-given manures and fertilizers before sowing the seeds. 

Some of the best fertilizers are well-rotted farmyard manure (FYM) for rough and poor soil. Phosphorus 30kg to 50 kg/acre, diammonium phosphate 30kg to 50 kg/acre, nitrogen 8-10 kg/acre. Cow dung is mostly used in large-scale organic farming in the USA.

Weed control

Weed infestation in chickpea farming is slightly more in comparison to other crops so you need to perform regular exercise for weed control. One should perform the 1st weed removal after 4 to 5 weeks of the sowing process. Hoeing with a hand is good but hoeing with a wheel can be helpful and time-saving for the weed removal process.

However, using both methods can result in good farming exercises. The second weed removal is required to be performed after 2 months of seed sowing. Generally, organic herbicides are used for the weed-removing process in chickpea farming which results in higher production. Pre-emergence fluchloralin 1kg as a baseline/ha in 900 litres of water should be applied to the soil before the seed-sowing process. 

Pests and diseases

Some of the major pests in chickpea farming are Pod borers and CutWorms. Whereas diseases in chickpea crops are Wilt, Grey Mold of chickpea, Rust, Sclerotinia Blight and Ascochyta Blight.

Pest and disease management

Pest and disease management is the real reason behind the quality of chickpea production in Ethiopia.
Cutworms – Apply Lindane 6% granules @20 to 30 kg per hectare and mix it into the soil. 
Pod Borer – Apply Endosulfan spray 35 EC @ 1.30 litres and mix in 950 to 1000 litres of water. 
To control disease in chickpea farming 
Wilt – Wilt is the result of a fungus. Apply seed treatment with a benlate mixture of Thiram (1:1) @ 2.5 grams per kg of seed. You can use wilt-resistant varieties such as Avrodhi, Pusa-362, C-214 and Uday.
Grey Mold – Apply 0.2 % bevistin spray to control the grey mould of chickpea. The late sowing time of seeds will also reduce this disease’s chances. 
Sclerotinia Blight – Apply to the soil, a mixture of captan and brassicol @ 12 kg per hectare to control sclerotinia in chickpeas. 
Rust – Apply 0.2% Mancozeb spray 75 WP. Mancozeb spray Rate is between $1.50 to $5 accordingly.
Ascochyta Blight – Apply thiram or bavistin @2.5 kg seed before sowing.

FAQ

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