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Annual Crops

3. LEGUMES

3.2. Chicken peas (cicer arietubum L).

Chicken pea is concentrated in Asia which constitutes 88% of world production. Leading countries are India 67% Pakistan 8%, Turkey 7% and in Africa Ethiopia is leading with 2% world production. Kenya chickpea is relatively a new crop that has not been commercially been introduced and produced ICRISAT introduction it’s grown in s mall quantities. In Eastern, Rift valley (Bomet, Nakuru as relay or rotational crop. Research is currently going on at Kari, Egerton University to sell produces of introduction and marketing crop among farmers.

Botany.

Crop is an annual crop belonging to tobacco family. Growth habit could be prostate even in semi erect.

 There are 2 major types;

  1. Desi type – Brown red rush foliage – stem, leaves, flowers, Small seed size 18-24g/100 seeds, Yellow to light brown seeds and Irregular to plumpy seed shape

-          Kabuli type - Less cooking time, Greenish, dark green foliage,  Large seed size 35-55g/100 seeds, White to cream seed color, Rams head seed shape.

- Most common in Kenya is Kabuli type.

 Varieties

There are 4 categories

  1. Super early flower 24-28 DAE, mature 75-80DAE eg ICCV 96029.
  2. Extra – early flower 28-35DAE mature 85-90 DAE eg ICCV2, ICCV 93929.
  3. Early maturity – flower 35-45 DAE –pm -90-100 eg KAK 2, Chania desi 1 and Chania Desi 2
  4. Late maturity – flower 75 days pm – 150DCA eg 1CCV 97126, Saina K1

Use of early and super early

  1. Short duration catch crop.
  2. Late sown conditions – during Short rains in Kenya.
  3. Vegetables purposes – market advantage for early produced pods.

 Seed bed preparation and sowing

Good seed beds have beans /pigeon pea.  Spacing 45-60x10-25 cm -100kgDAP

Weed control -early

Several diseases – Fusarum wilt          

o                                       Dry root rot                 

o                                       Cover rots                    

o                                       Black root up                               

o                                       Rusts.             

o                                       Ascochyta blight

o                                       Powdey  mildew        

o                                       Gray mold                    

Control

Sprays and seed  treat with Ridomil, Captan, Benlate

PESTS

-          Pod borer

-          Thrips

Uses

It includes; N-fixation – relay or rotation crop, source of protein 23%, High amount acid, cyseine, Leaves acts as vegeatables, Green immature seed – Raw roast, fried vegetable, Dried sold – cooked, boiled, Dehisced- split seed – dried, Flour preparation of salty snacks, sweet condiments and animal Fodder.