Chickpea biology
Cicer arietinum
Family: Fabaceae (Pea family).

Common names: Chickpea, Garbanzo bean, Gram.

Confused with: A diverse range of chickpea varieties can be grown. They may vary widely in leaf shape, flower colour, and seed colour and shape. Only one type is described here.

Description: Seedlings – the first leaves have 2 or 3 pairs of leaflets with a terminal leaflet. Leaflets are 3 – 5 mm long and 2 – 3 mm wide, with serrated edges. Pairs are arranged along a short stem 15 – 20 mm long, borne on a stem 4 – 6 mm long. These leaves continue to grow as new leaves emerge.
Older leaves – are made up of 4 to 8 pairs of leaflets with a terminal leaflet. Leaflets are 6 – 20 mm long, 3 – 14 mm wide with a serrated margin. Leaves are green to bluish in colour.
Plants – a multi-branched annual plant growing into a clumpy bush 30 – 50 cm high. The leaves have a very distinctive oily feel due to a secretion of malic and oxidic acid from glandular heirs that cover the leaves and stems.
Flowers – are a typical pea shape, with bright maroon red petals borne on stems 6 – 20 mm long which emerge from the leaf axils. Flowers are 10 – 20 mm in width.
Seeds – are borne in a light green pea-pod 25 – 35 mm long, with 2 – 3 seeds per pod. Pods become brown as they dry. Seeds are an unusual, angular shape, brown and 8 – 10 mm long, depending on variety.

Lifecycle/Biology:  Germinates in autumn and winter, flowering in spring.

Ecology: Most commonly grown on fertile and heavy clay soils. Isolated plants may grow from seed lost from trucks etc.

The problem: Volunteer chickpeas can be a minor weed in a following crop. Volunteers can be very problematic if a crop such as cotton is planted immediately following a chickpea crop, as emerging chickpeas may be readily predated by heliothus grubs. These grubs will move to the main crop when the volunteers are controlled.

Distribution: An alternative winter legume crop grown in most States.
Origin: A native of the Mediterranean region.

References:
Compiled by:   Graham Charles