UPSC Express

About the crop Chickpea

• The chickpea (Cicerarietinum) is a legume that belongs to the family Fabaceae.
• Chickpea is the world’s second most important pulse legume, with particular importance in the semi-arid tropics of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• Contents
  • Chickpeas are rich in proteins, and are grown in many parts of the world for human consumption.
  • It is also high in dietary fiber, folate, and dietary mineral content.
  • They are rich in essential amino acids like aromatic amino acids, tryptophan, lysine, and isoleucine.
  • When cooked, chickpeas are 60% water, 9% protein, 3% fat, and 27% carbohydrates.
• Climatic requirements
  • Chickpeas crop grows well in good moisture conditions with a temperature between 24°C and 30°C.
  • Chickpeas are grown on moderately heavy soils, black cotton soils, and loamy sandy soils.
• Chickpea in India
  • It is generally known as “Chana”/ “Gram” or “Bengal Gram” in India.
  • India is the largest producer of chickpea with about 63% of the total area under chickpea production lying in India.
  • As it is a protein-rich supplement to cereal-based diets, hence it is crucial for the food security in India.
  • It is Rabi a crop, generally sown in September-October and harvested in January-February in India.