FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
New chickpea variety finds good acceptance
M.J. PRABU
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Though it can be grown on a variety of soil types, loamy soils are ideal
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— Photo: ICRISAT
Well received: The new variety is popular among chickpea farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
A DESI chickpea variety named ‘JG 11’ found suitable for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh has been developed by researchers at the chickpea breeding centre at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru in Andhra Pradesh.
Chickpea is called Bengal gram in English, Kabuli channa in Hindi, Konda kadali or Kothu kadalai in Tamil and Vella kadalai in Malayalam.
Harvesting time
JG 11 can be harvested in 95-100 days in southern India and in 110-120 days in central India after sowing.
It yields 1.5 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare under rainfed and 2.5 to 3.0 tonnes per hectare under irrigated conditions with a brown coloured seed coat and is highly resistant to fusarium wilt infestation, according to Dr. P.M. Gaur, Principal Scientist, Chickpea Breeding, at the Institute.
Higher yield
“This variety is very popular among chickpea farmers and is gradually replacing the more popular variety called Annigeri in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka because of its higher yield, attractive large seed and high resistance to fusarium wilt,” he said.
The seeds are sown during October-November. About 65-70 kg of seeds is required for sowing in a hectare.
Though it can be grown on a variety of soil types, loamy soils are ideal.
Sowing should be done in rows at a spacing of 30 x 10 cm. Fertilizer requirements depend on the nutrient status of the field and may vary from field to field.
Usually about 20 kg of nitrogen, 40 kg of phosphorus, 20 kg of potash and 20 kg of sulphur are the recommended dosages.
Seed inoculation
The seeds should be treated with fungicides (2 gm of thiram and 1 gm of carbendazim per kg seed) before sowing.
If chickpea is being grown for the first time in a field, the seeds should be inoculated with Rhizobium after their treatment with fungicides. (Rhizobium inoculum is available in the market.)
To inoculate the seeds, use a mixture of 70 gm of peat inoculum and 300 ml of 10 per cent jaggery solution (1 kg of jaggery : 9 litres of water). This mixture is sufficient for 20 kg seed.
The seeds should be placed in a plastic container and the slurry poured over them and shaken thoroughly. The treated seeds should be dried under shade and sown as soon as possible. To prevent weed menace, herbicides such as pendimethalin at the rate of 1 to 1.5 kg diluted in about 600 litres of water per hectare should be sprayed within three days of sowing to flush out the weeds.
Chickpea is generally grown as a rainfed crop, but two irrigations, one during flowering stage (35 to 45 days after sowing) and the other during pod formation stage (65 to 75 days after sowing) are recommended for getting higher yield.
In central and peninsular India, root diseases such as fusarium wilt, collar rot and dry root rot are more prevalent.
Precautionary measure
Foliar diseases such as ascochyta blight and botrytis gray mould are noticed in northern, northwestern and eastern parts of India.
Using disease resistant varieties and treating the seeds with fungicides before sowing are some of the common precautionary measures to be taken to get a good yield.
Insect pest
Among insects, pod borer (Helicoverpa sp) is the most severe yield reducer throughout the country. A spray of about 5 per cent neem-seed extract diluted in 300 litres of water over the crops during the flowering stage is found effec
tive in controlling it.
For more information readers may contact Dr. P.M. Gaur, Principal Scientist, Chickpea Breeding, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad: 502 324, email: p.gaur@cgiar.org, phone 040-30713356.
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