Chickpea Research at VSU Continues
Scientists Search for the Best Chickpea Variety for Virginia
By Dr. Zelalem Mersha, Plant Pathologist/Extension Specialist
Chickpeas are a highly nutritious crop and an inexpensive source of easily-digestible plant-based protein, minerals and fiber associated with many health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease and improving digestion. It is also an environmentally-friendly legume crop because of its high water use efficiency and its natural ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, thus reducing the costs of artificial fertilizers. Virginia State University (VSU), in collaboration with other stakeholders, delved into chickpea research and outreach with the goal of developing a locally-grown chickpea that can be adopted by local farmers as an alternative cash and rotational crop. Virginia’s humid climate and frequent summer rain has put heavy fungal disease, weed pressure and other physiological disorders on chickpea plants. Researchers are learning that successfully growing chickpeas in the Commonwealth takes meticulous planning, patience and persistence.
Dr. Zelalem Mersha, a plant pathologist and Extension specialist at VSU’s Agricultural Research Station (ARS), received a three-year U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1890 Capacity Building Grant (CBG) to study solutions to these problems, such as implementing eco-friendly best practices to prevent diseases and investigating whether a disease-resistant chickpea plant suited to Virginia’s climate is viable. Dr. Guo- Liang Jiang, a plant breeder at VSU-ARS, is also assisting with germplasm screening of chickpea varieties.
“More than 70 diseases can affect chickpeas worldwide, the most predominant being Ascochyta blight, which is also on the top of the list here in Virginia,” Mersha said. “Since planting chickpeas began at Randolph Farm in April 2018, the blight has been one of the biggest hurdles to finding a suitable chickpea variety. It affects literally all parts of the chickpea plant including the pods.”
To improve the odds, Mersha is experimenting with a two-pronged approach to achieve locally-grown chickpeas. “On one hand, we’re trying to select a disease-resistant chickpea variety among more than 250-350 chickpea germplasm collections we acquired from USDA ARS in Pullman, Washington. The hope is that we may find a few that will resist diseases and thrive in Virginia’s climate,” he said. “Looking at a toolbox of integrated pest management options to escape disease and the wet summer, it may also mean planting early in April or May, depending on the weather.”
Mersha conducted a staggered planting that runs every 15 days from mid-April to July. One of the field trials in 2019 also focused on studying the impact of the intercropping of chickpeas with flax. In 2020, Mersha explained “Despite the COVID-19 impact, we also did a late April to mid-August planting to investigate the prospects of growing early maturing desi type and late maturing Kabuli type chickpeas. Doubling the plant density in 2020 helped compensate for a low yield that was recorded in 2019.”
Mersha’s research during the past two years showed that controlling weeds and caterpillars are equivalently important. “In 2019, we had a great infestation by chickpea pod borers and corn earworms because of the location of the chickpea plot being next to a corn field. We are managing chickpea pod borers with a few insecticide sprays in 2020, but weeds continued to be challenging in both years.”
Mersha said that successful harvests can be achieved when moderately resistant chickpea varieties are grown in well prepared soil, at the ideal planting time, with optimal spacing and, if necessary, with two to four applications of reduced-risk fungicides. “While chickpeas aren’t common to Virginia’s climate, our studies are showing that under the right circumstances, they can be grown in the drier and less humid parts of the Commonwealth and could potentially be an alternative crop for farmers.”
Connection is published by Virginia State University’s College of Agriculture. Special thanks to everyone who contributed content, photos, ideas and time to this edition.
Executive Editor: Michelle Olgers; Writer/Editor: Lorraine Blackwell; Art Direction, Graphic Design: Brittany R. Hughes
Send address changes and circulation inquiries by email to molgers@vsu.edu. Editorial inquiries and other comments should be sent to Executive Editor, Connection, P.O. Box 9081, Virginia State University, VA 23806 or molgers@vsu.edu.
©2020 Virginia State University College of Agriculture
Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, Dean/1890 Extension Administrator; Dr. Wondi Mersie, Associate Dean/Director of Research; Dr. Janine P. Woods, Associate Administrator VSU Virginia Cooperative Extension; Dr. Michelle Corley, Interim Chair, Associate Professor Department of Agriculture; Dr. Crystal Wynn, Chair and Associate Professor Department of Family and Consumer Sciences; Dr. Berkita Bradford, Chair and Associate Professor Department of Hospitality Management
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