Gram commonly known as chick pea or Bengal gram is the most important pulse crop of India. It is used for human consumption as well as for feeding to animals. Fresh green leaves are used as vegetable while straw of chickpea is an excellent fodder for cattle. The grains are also used as vegetable. India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Burma and Turkey are main gram growing countries. India ranks first in the world in respect of production and acreage followed by Pakistan. In India, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab are major gram producing states.

On basis of size, color and shape of seeds, gram is divided into two group 1) Desi or brown gram 2) Kabuli or white gram. Yield potential of kabuli is poor as compared to Desi gram.

Western Maharashtra is major gram producing region with near about 3.1lakh hectare area under its cultivation.

It can be grown on wide variety of soils. Sandy loam to clay loam is considered to be most suitable soil for gram cultivation. Soil having water logging problems are not suitable for cultivation. Saline alkaline soils are not suitable. pH in the range of 5.5 to 7 is ideal for sowing.

Avoid sowing of same crop continuously in field. Follow proper crop rotation. Crop rotation with cereals will help in controlling soil borne disease. 

J.G 16: Deshi variety. Ready to harvest in 135-140days. Gives average yield of 8-9qtl/acre.

Vijay: Ready to harvest in 105-110days. High yielding drought resistant variety suitable for rainy as well as irrigated areas. Gives average yield of 7.9-8.8qtl/acre.

Vishal: Ready to harvest 110-115days. Attractive bold yellow color grains. Gives average yield of 8.3qtl/acre.  

Digvijay: Ready to harvest 105-110days. Yellowish, bold seeded variety. Suitable for rainfed and irrigated areas. Gives average yield of 7.9qtl/acre.

Virat: Ready to harvest 110-115days. Resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 8.3qtl/acre.  

Kripa: Ready to harvest in 105-110days. Kabuli variety with bold, white color grains. Gives average yield of 6.6-7.5qtl/acre. 

Saki 9516: Ready to harvest in 105-110days. Resistant to wilt disease. Suitable for irrigated areas. Gives average yield of 7.5-8qtl/acre.

PKV 2: Ready to harvest in 105-110days.Resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 7-7.2qtl/acre.

AKG 46: Ready to harvest in 100-105days. Bold seeded variety resistant to wilt disease. 

Very fine and compact seedbed is not good for chick pea, it required rough seed bed. If it is cultivated as mix crop the land should be plough to fine tilth. If chick pea crop is taken after a kharif fellow carry out one deep ploughing during the monsoon as it will help to conserved rain water. Before sowing plough the land only once. If soil appears to be deficient in moisture run a roller about a week before sowing.

Time of sowing

For rainfed areas, complete sowing before 25th of October. For irrigated areas, complete sowing from 20th October to 10th November. 

Spacing

For sowing use row to row distance of 25-30cm and plant to plant distance of 10cm. In irrigated areas, increased spacing i.e.keep row to row distance of 45cm.

Sowing Depth

Sow seeds at depth of 6-8cm.

Method of sowing

Sow seeds with help of seed drill or local plough.

Seed Rate:

For small grain used seed rate of 24-26kg/acre, for medium size grains seed rate of 26-28kg/acre and for bold grains use seed rate of 40kg/acre is required.

Seed Treatment:

Mix Trichoderma@2 kg/acre + decomposed cow dung@50 kg then cover it with jute bags for 24-72 hrs. Then spray this on moist soil before sowing to control soil borne disease. To prevent seeds from soil borne disease they should be treated with fungicide Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63%WP(Saaf)@2 gm/kg of seed before sowing. In termite affected soil, treat seeds with Chlorpyrifos 20EC@10 ml/kg of seeds before sowing. 

Inoculate seed with Mesorhizobium, it will increase productivity of gram and increased yield by 7%. For that first moisten seed with water then apply single packet of Meso-rhizobium on seeds. After inoculation dry seeds in shed. 

Use any one fungicides from below:

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

For all varieties apply, Nitrogen@8kg in form of Urea@20kg, Phosphorus@20kg in form of SSP@125kg, Potash@8kg in form of MOP@15kg per acre and sulphur@8kg/acre. For rainfed areas, apply Urea@200gm/10Ltr of water at time of flower formation. Add full dose of phosphorus, potash and half dose of nitrogen at the time of sowing. Remaining dose of nitrogen is added after 4-5 weeks of sowing. 

To keep check on weeds, take first hand weeding or with wheel hoe 25-30days after sowing and second if needed after 60 days of sowing.

Mixed Fluchloraline 45EC@0.8Ltr/acre in 320-400Ltr of water and apply in field before seed sowing.Simultaneously for effective weed control, pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin @ 1 litre/150 litre water on third day after sowing for one acre land. It will help for controlling annual weeds. In case of less infestation, hand weeding or inter culture with the help of hoe is always better than herbicides because inter culture operations improve aeration in the soil.

Mainly Bengal gram farming is done in rainfed areas. If water is available, then first irrigation is done after 40-45 days after sowing after flowering and next irrigation is given after pod development. If only single irrigation is available, then do it after 60 days of sowing. 

• Pests and their control:

Termite: It feeds on root or near root zone of crop. Affected plant show symptom of drying up. It can be easily uprooted. It can affect at seedling stage and also near maturity.

To protect seeds from termite, treat seeds with Chlorpyriphos 20EC@10ml/kg of seeds. If infestation occur in standing crop, drench with Imidacloprid@4ml/10litre of water or Chlorpyriphos@5ml/10Ltr of water.

Cut worm: Caterpillar remain hide in soil at depth of 2-4 inch. It cut at base of plant, branches or stem. Eggs are laid down in soil. Larva is dark brown with red head.

Adopt crop rotation. Use only well decomposed cow dung. At early stage pick caterpillar by hand and then destroyed them. Avoid plantation of Tomato. Okra near gram field. In low infestation spray Quinalphos 25EC@400 ml/200-240 litres water per acre. In case of severe infestation Spray with Profenophos 50EC@600 ml/acre in 200-240 litres of water.

Gram pod borer: This is the most serious pest of chickpea and causes damage up to 75% reduction in yield. It feed on leaves causes skeletonization of leaves also feeds on flower and green pods. On pods they make circular holes and feed on grains.

Install Pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera@5/acre. In case of low infestation, handpicked grown up larvae. At early stage use HNPV or Neem extract@50 gm/litre of water. Use of chemicals are necessary after ETL level. (ETL: 2 early instar larvae/plant or 5-8 eggs/plant).

Spray Deltamethrin 1%+Triazophos35%@25 ml/10 litre water when crop is at 50% flowering stage. Spray Emamectin Benzoate 5%G@3 gm/10 litre of water 15 days after first spray of Deltamethrin+Triazophos.

In case of severe infestation spray Emamectin Benzoate 5%SG@7-8 gm/15 litre or 20%WG Flubendiamide@8 gm/15 litre water.

• Diseases and their control:

Blight: Dark brown spot with dot like bodies developed on stem, branches, leaflet and pods. In case of excessive rain whole plant get severely affected with blight.

For cultivation use resistant varieties. Before sowing carryout seed treatment with fungicide. On incidence of disease spray with Indofil M-45 or Captan @360 gm/100 ltr of water per acre. If necessary repeat the spray at interval of 15 days.

Gray Mold: Small water soaked spots are observed on leaflets. Spots on infected leaves become dark brown. In severe infestation, brown necrotic spots appear on twigs, petioles, leaves and flowers of the plant on attaining full vegetative growth. The affected stem finally breaks and the plant dies.

Before sowing carry out seed treatment. If infestation is observed, spray crop with Carbendazim@2 gm/ltr of water.

Rust: This disease is more severe in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Small, round to oval, light or dark brown pustules are formed on the under surface of the leaves. In later stage, pustules get black and affected leaves get defoliate.

Use rust resistant varieties for cultivation. If symptoms are observed spray the crop with Mancozeb 75WP@2 gm/ltr of water. With interval of 10 days take two more sprays.

Wilt: This disease causes considerable loss in yield. In can affect at the seedling stage as well as in an advanced stage of plant growth. Initially affected plant show dropping of petioles and gives dull green color. Afterwards all leaves turn yellow and become straw colored.

Grow resistant varieties. In primary stage of wilt, to control mix 1 kg of Trichoderma in 200 kg well decomposed cow dung and keep it for 3 days, then apply it in wilt affected area. If wilt is observed in fields, spray 300 ml Propiconazol with 200 litre of water per acre.

When plant gets dry and leaves turn reddish brown and start shedding, plant is ready to harvest. Cut the plant with sickle. Sundry the harvested crop for five to six days. After proper drying, carry out threshing by beating the plants with sticks or by trampling under the feet of bullocks.

Grains of harvested crop must be well dried before storage. And take care to avoid the pulse beetle infestation in storage.