Extra-bold Kabuli chickpea variety

By Our Agriculture Correspondent

THE FIRST ever extra-bold Kabuli chickpea (channa or Bengal gram) has been released recently for commercial cultivation by the farmers of Maharashtra by Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, (PDKV) Akola, Maharashtra.

Developed using the segregating breeding population of ICCX- 870026 received from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, the extra-bold Kabuli was first tested in the name KAK-2 Kabuli variety, and it has been later christened ``PKV-Kabuli-2'', according to Dr. Jagdish Kumar, Senior Scientist (GREP) at ICRISAT.

The new variety has a duration ranging between 95 and 113 days, and has a high yield potential. The multi-location yield trial data available from Maharashtra indicated that it has a high yield potential of 1691 kg per hectare, which is comparable to the check variety ICCV-2, a popular variety developed at ICRISAT in the early 90's. Under the All India coordinated trials, this variety performed well, and recorded 2006 kg per hectare in Central Zone, which includes Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, according to Dr. Jagdish Kumar. Dr. K.B. Wanjari and Dr. W.N. Zope of PDKV, Akola, played crucial role in developing and testing the variety, according to him.

The new variety, PKV-Kabuli-2, is of semi-spreading type with 4 to 5 basal branches. It produces white flowers. Its flowering duration is 46 days and maturity duration is 102 days under irrigated conditions. It may vary depending on the day length and temperature prevailing in the growing regions. This variety is resistant to Fusarium wilt, which is a major crippling disease of chickpea.

The stem of the plants will normally remain green with or without light pigment and it will turn yellow at maturity. It produces very bold pods and seeds. The extra-bold Kabuli variety has a hundred-seed weight exceeding 40 g. In Indian markets, such bold- types are got only through imports, and therefore they are commonly referred as ``imported Kabuli''. The extra-bold Kabuli chickpea get a premium price in the market.

PKV-Kabuli-2 with its superior yield performance in Central zone can substitute for the extra-bold Kabuli being imported from other countries. The All India Coordinated Research on Chickpea has identified this variety for cultivation in Central zone. With its release by PDKV, Akola, it will spread throughout the region, especially in Maharashtra, according to Dr. Jagdish Kumar.

The traditional Kabuli chickpea varieties were not grown in Maharashtra because the varieties available then were of late- maturing types, and were susceptible to the Fusarium wilt. Earliness and wilt- resistance have been introduced in these varieties from desi types, through systematic breeding efforts. The first ever-early maturing Kabuli variety ICCV-2 was released in Andhra Pradhesh and Maharashtra in the early Nineties.

This variety became popular and it was grown over 50 000 hectares in Maharashtra. However, in the last few years, the price of this variety went down in the market, and farmers were severely affected by the arrival of imported extra-bold Kabuli chickpea in the market. Now, with the release of this high yielding extra- bold Kabuli chickpea, the Maharashtra farmers will be able regain their lost grounds in the market, according to Dr. Jagdish Kumar.

The new variety has a short duration ranging between 95 and 113 days, and has a higher yield potential.

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