Performance of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes in Vertisols of Chhattisgarh plains under rice based cropping system

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important grain legume crops cultivated worldwide and ranks third among pulse crops in terms of global production. It belongs to the family Fabaceae and genus Cicer, with a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 16. The crop is believed to have originated in south-eastern Turkey and subsequently spread to different parts of the world. Chickpea is commonly known as gram, chana, or Bengal gram and is widely cultivated for its nutritional as well as agronomic importance. The crop is generally sown from mid-October to mid-December and harvested during late February to late March, depending upon the climatic conditions and time of sowing. Chickpea is considered a valuable and economical source of dietary protein, especially for the large vegetarian population in developing countries. The seeds are highly nutritious and contain approximately 38-59% carbohydrates, 22-24% protein, about 3% fibre, 4.8-5.5% oil, and nearly 3% ash. In addition, chickpea seeds contain about 0.2% calcium and 0.3% phosphorus, which contribute significantly to human nutrition. The protein digestibility of chickpea ranges from 76-78%, while carbohydrate digestibility varies from 57-60%, making it an excellent crop for improving nutritional security. Two major types of chickpea are cultivated worldwide, namely Desi and Kabuli types. The Desi type generally possesses smaller seeds with a thicker seed coat and dark brown colour and is commonly consumed in various forms such as whole chickpea, split gram (dal), roasted gram, and flour (besan). In contrast, the Kabuli type generally has larger seeds with a thinner seed coat and creamy-white colour and is usually consumed as whole seeds. Both types are widely cultivated depending on regional preferences and market demand (FAO, 2018) [3] . Globally, chickpea is cultivated in several countries including India, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Mexico, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Australia, Spain, Canada, Russia, and Morocco. Among these, India ranks first both in area and production, followed by Pakistan. Chickpea holds a significant position among pulse crops due to its adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions and its ability to grow under limited soil moisture conditions. India is the largest producer as well as consumer of chickpea in the world. The crop occupies approximately 9.12 million hectares with a production of about 11.11 million tonnes and an average productivity of 1218 kg ha⁻¹ in the country. Chickpea is widely cultivated in several major states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. Among these states, Maharashtra ranks first in terms of area, covering about 2.87 million hectares, with a production of 2.96 million tonnes and an average productivity of 1841 kg ha⁻¹, which is higher than the national average productivity (Anonymous, 2024-25) [2] . In Chhattisgarh, important pulse crops include chickpea, lathyrus, pigeon pea, blackgram, and greengram, among which chickpea occupies a prominent place. It is one of the most important rabi pulse crops grown after the harvest of rice, which is the predominant crop of the state. Chickpea occupies about 352.40 thousand hectares with an average productivity of approximately 1200 kg ha⁻¹ in the state. The major chickpeagrowing districts of Chhattisgarh include Bemetara, Rajnandgaon, Kabirdham, and Durg (Anonymous, 2024) [1] . The crop is generally cultivated under residual soil moisture conditions following rice harvest. Therefore, identification of high-yielding and adaptable chickpea genotypes suitable for the Vertisols conditions of the Chhattisgarh plains is essential for improving productivity. In this context, the present investigation entitled "Performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes in Vertisols of Chhattisgarh plains" was undertaken to evaluate different chickpea genotypes with respect to yield attributes and productivity.

Materials and Methods

The field experiment entitled "Performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes in Vertisols of Chhattisgarh plains" was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the Instructional-cum-Research Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. The soil of the experimental field was clayey in texture and classified as Vertisols. The soil reaction was neutral, with a pH of 7.1. The soil contained 0.62% organic carbon, indicating a medium level of soil organic matter. The available nitrogen content was 229.8 kg ha⁻¹, which falls under the low fertility category. The available phosphorus content was 12.4 kg ha⁻¹, categorized as medium, whereas the available potassium content was 376.5 kg ha⁻¹, which is considered high. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten chickpea genotypes replicated three times. The treatments consisted of the following genotypes: V₁ -Indira Chana-1, V₂ -JG-16, V₃ -JAKI-9218, V₄ -JG-315, V₅ -RG-2015-08, V₆ -GJG-1907, V₇ -CG Akshay Chana, V₈ -CG Chana-2, V₉ -Vaibhav, V₁₀ -RG-2020-03. The plot size was 5.0 m × 3.0 m (15.0 m²) with spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm (row × plant). The crop was sown on 6 th December 2024 and harvested on 25 th March 2025. The crop was raised by following the recommended agronomic practices for chickpea cultivation in the region. All cultural and management practices were applied uniformly across the experimental plots to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the genotypic performance. The experimental data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) appropriate for the Randomized Block Design, as described by Gomez and Gomez (1984) [5] . The treatment means were compared using the Critical Difference (CD) at the 5% level of significance to determine the significance of differences among treatments.

Results and Discussion

Yield Attributes Number of Pods per Plant

The number of pods per plant was significantly influenced by different chickpea genotypes and the data are presented in Table 1. Among the evaluated genotypes, V₁₀ -RG 2020-03 recorded a significantly higher number of pods per plant (39.9) compared to other genotypes. However, it remained statistically at par with V₆ -GJG 1907 (37.0), V₇ -CG Akshay Chana (36.8), and V₄ -JG 315 (36.3). The lowest number of pods per plant (30.9) was recorded in V₃ -JAKI 9218. The variation in number of pods per plant among different genotypes may be attributed to genetic variability and differential adaptability of genotypes under Vertisol conditions. Similar findings were reported by Neenu et al. (2014) [10] , who observed that variety JG-11 produced a significantly higher number of pods per plant (41.75), followed by JG-315, while the lowest number of pods per plant was recorded in JG-16 (33.25).

Number of Seeds per Pod

The number of seeds per pod was significantly affected by different chickpea genotypes (Table 1). Among the genotypes, V₆ -GJG 1907 recorded the maximum number of seeds per pod (1.6), which was statistically at par with V₄ -JG 315 (1.5), V₅ -RG 2015-08 (1.5), and V₁ -Indira Chana-1 (1.4). The minimum number of seeds per pod (1.2) was recorded in V₁₀ -RG 2020-03 and V₈ -CG Chana-2. The differences in number of seeds per pod among the genotypes may be due to genetic characteristics influencing reproductive efficiency and pod filling ability. Similar results were reported by Singh et al. (2009) [12] , who observed that the maximum number of seeds per pod was recorded in BARI Chhola-4, followed by BARI Chhola-2, whereas the lowest value was observed in BARI Chhola-6.

The 100-seed weight differed significantly among the chickpea genotypes (Table 1). The highest 100-seed weight (25.3 g) was recorded in V₁₀ -RG 2020-03, which was statistically at par with V₆ -GJG 1907 (24.7 g), V₅ -RG 2015-08 (24.0 g), and V₁ -Indira Chana-1 (23.9 g). The lowest 100-seed weight (19.3 g) was observed in V₄ -JG 315. Variation in seed weight among the genotypes may be attributed to genetic differences in seed size and seed filling capacity. Similar results were reported by Karasu et al. (2009) [7] , who found that the effect of cultivars on 1000-seed weight was statistically significant, with the maximum value recorded in Canıtez-87 cultivar (498.2 g) followed by Yerli genotype (497.9 g), while the lowest was observed in ILC-114 (446.8 g).

Seed yield of chickpea was significantly influenced by different genotypes, and the data are presented in Table 2. Among the tested genotypes, V₁₀ -RG 2020-03 recorded the highest seed yield (1699.0 kg ha⁻¹), which was statistically at par with V₆ -GJG 1907 (1692.3 kg ha⁻¹), V₇ -CG Akshay Chana (1639.3 kg ha⁻¹), V₄ -JG 315 (1636.7 kg ha⁻¹), and V₅ -RG 2015-08 (1607.0 kg ha⁻¹). The lowest seed yield (1516.3 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded in V₃ -JAKI 9218. The higher seed yield in RG 2020-03 may be attributed to its superior yield attributes such as higher number of pods per plant and greater seed weight, which ultimately contributed to enhanced productivity. Similar findings were reported by Naik et al. (2022) [9] , who observed that the variety Avrodhi produced the highest seed yield, which was significantly superior to other varieties. The increased yield was attributed to higher number of primary and secondary branches per plant, greater number of pods per plant, higher number of seeds per pod, and increased seed weight, which collectively contributed to improved grain and biological yield.

The stover yield of chickpea was also significantly influenced by different genotypes (Table 2). The genotype V₁₀ -RG 2020-03 recorded the maximum stover yield (2585.3 kg ha⁻¹), which was statistically at par with V₆ -GJG 1907 (2502.0 kg ha⁻¹), V₇ -CG Akshay Chana (2466.7 kg ha⁻¹), V₄ -JG 315 (2461.0 kg ha⁻¹), and V₅ -RG 2015-08 (2397.7 kg ha⁻¹). The minimum stover yield (2207.7 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded in V₃ -JAKI 9218. The variation in stover yield among genotypes may be attributed to differences in vegetative growth, branching pattern, and biomass accumulation. Similar results were reported by Kushwaha et al. (2021) [8] , who observed significant variation in stover yield among chickpea varieties such as Pragati (K-3256), Pusa-256, Avrodhi, and Pant G-186, with Avrodhi recording the highest stover yield due to better vegetative growth and higher biological yield. Likewise, Kabir et al. (2009) [6] reported that BARI Chhola-4 produced the highest stover yield among the evaluated chickpea varieties.

The harvest index did not differ significantly among the chickpea genotypes, as indicated by the non-significant CD value (Table 2). The highest harvest index (40.7%) was recorded in V₃ -JAKI 9218, followed by V₆ -GJG 1907 (40.3%), whereas V₁ -Indira Chana-1 recorded the lowest harvest index (39.3%). Although numerical differences were observed among the genotypes, the statistical analysis indicated that these differences were non-significant, suggesting that the proportion of economic yield to total biological yield remained relatively similar among the tested genotypes. Similar findings were reported by Shah et al. (2007) [11] , who observed that improved chickpea varieties such as JG-11 and BGD-103 produced higher grain and stover yields due to efficient utilization of available soil moisture during the crop growth period. Furthermore, yield improvement in chickpea largely depends on yield-contributing traits such as number of pods per plant, seed weight, and harvest index (Chandra et al., 2024) [4] .

Conclusion

The results of the present investigation revealed significant variation among the ten chickpea genotypes evaluated under Vertisol conditions of the Chhattisgarh plains. Among the genotypes tested, RG-2020-03 (V₁₀) recorded the highest number of pods per plant (39.9), 100-seed weight (25.3 g), seed yield (1699 kg ha⁻¹), and stover yield (2585.3 kg ha⁻¹), indicating its superior performance. The genotype GJG-1907 (V₆) also performed well and remained statistically at par with RG-2020-03 for seed yield and several yield attributes. In contrast, JAKI-9218 (V₃) recorded the lowest values for most yield parameters, including number of pods per plant and seed yield.

Based on the findings of the present study, RG-2020-03, followed by GJG-1907 and CG Akshay Chana, exhibited superior performance in terms of yield attributes and productivity. Therefore, these genotypes may be considered promising and suitable for cultivation under Vertisols conditions of the Chhattisgarh plains, as they demonstrated better adaptability and higher yield potential.

References

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