According to a new article on The Land, Australian researchers are questioning the merits of planting chickpeas earlier in the season. A recent trial has shown that earlier planting may not result in higher yields, even though the plants flower earlier.
Why should this be the case? According to agronomist Leigh Jenkins: “Later sown chickpeas have a shorter vegetative phase and flower at temperatures more conducive to pod development.” In other words, chickpea plants that flower earlier (during cooler temperatures) may not produce as many pods as chickpeas that flower later in the season when it’s warmer.
The researchers also indicated that earlier-flowering chickpeas may be more vulnerable to disease. Frost damage and disease are the two biggest constraints to chickpea production, and the question of when to plant the seeds can have an impact on both factors. To complicate matters, planting too late — as in late June — has also been shown to have an impact on yields.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer when it comes to the best date to plant chickpeas, and the optimal time depends on a complex interaction between the environment and the unique genetic makeup of each individual chickpea plant.
