Chickpea production has rapidly gained popularity across the Prairies, but finding the best management strategies for each production zone is often a matter of trial and error for growers.

A new study at the University of Saskatchewan hopes to remove the guesswork. Dr. Rosalind Ball and her team will spend the next three years test driving chickpea production strategies across different soil zones. This will give farmers better information for decision making and help plant breeders identify targets for superior new chickpea varieties.

"We anticipate providing growers with chickpea cultivars that have the best leaf and canopy traits for rapid leaf generation, superior canopy structure and aeration, and maximum biomass and yield," says Ball. "This study will also provide knowledge to breed new cultivars for high yield potential and yield quality."

Ball’s study is supported in part by the Endowment Fund, administered by Western Grains Research Foundation. It builds on preliminary chickpea population research by the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre in Swift Current; in the new research, Ball’s team will extend the population range and incorporate canopy architecture – plant habitat and leaf type.

The chickpea plant has two leaf types, fern and unifoliate. The researchers will examine both types under different seeding rates to determine the best population densities for plant growth, yield and disease performance. They will also evaluate the benefits of different canopy types. Tests sites include Swift Current (brown soil), Saskatoon (dark brown/thin black soil), and Elrose (brown soil).

The study will also examine eight different chickpea genotypes to assess the best performers and identify the top material for plant breeding.

Population density is a major focus because of its power as a management tool, says Ball. "Rapid generation of leaf area early in the season provides the most effective light capture and yield potential in a short season. One way to nurture rapid leaf development is to have a higher plant population."

Current chickpea population recommendations of around 44 plants per square meter are based on preliminary studies only, she says. "Stable chickpea production will be improved by population recommendations based on leaf types, plant canopy types and production zone."

Prairie chickpea farmers have traditionally relied on a low population density strategy to get the most out of their crop, says Ball. But this method can backfire during years of cool temperature, inadequate water or late seeding, which result in slow or limited leaf area development.

"Instead of maintaining low density crops, growers may actually maximize production by planting a higher density crop that would take advantage of the shorter growing season particular to the region," says Ball. High population density does not lower yield during good years, if disease-resistant varieties are used or if disease is otherwise controlled.

Western Grains Research Foundation’s Endowment Fund has contributed over $17 million to nearly 200 crop research projects in Western Canada since its inception in 1983.