Farm406

FARM 406 28 • exports chickpea in large quantities to the Indian subcontinent." The American population is also turning to pulses, especially chickpea, for healthy eating. Many are finding the popular hummus dip made from ground chickpea as an introduction to the flavor and then go from there to adding the whole chickpea to salads and other dish- es. The demand is so great that buyers will contract the crop or show up at the farmer's yard to purchase the crop and to transport it immediately. Chickpea production in the United States has greatly expanded. Montana had over a hundred thousand acres in production last year—a 117% increase over 2015. The Montana Department of Agriculture projects the 2017 per-acre profit from chickpea production will be greater than with winter wheat, durum, or the other pulses. Growing chickpea takes intensive management that includes reading about the crop to learn best practices, follow- ing guidelines, and observing closely during the growing season. Since there isn't a foundation of years of research for growing the crop in Montana, part of learning is to visit with a producer who has taken on the challenge and can give experienced, down-farm advice. The Montana Extension Service also has several guides available. This article highlights an overview of what a pro- ducer should consider in growing this profitable crop. TYPES OF CHICKPEA The northern Great Plains semiarid climate is ideal for raising the chickpea crop. It serves as a rotation crop with the cereal grains where alternative herbi- cides clean up grassy weeds often found to be an aggravation in cereal crops. It will also provide biological nitrogen fixation, boosting cereal crops following a chickpea rotation. Producers in Montana are planting both chickpea types: the large cream- to beige-colored kabuli seed—sometimes called garbanzos—(>100 to <50 seeds/ oz) or the tan- to black-colored, small- er-sized desi seed (>100 seeds per oz). Producers are paid according to the kabuli color and size with the largest being the most valued. Light colored, ten and nine millimeter kabuli are con- sidered "A" grade. The amount of rain often impacts the pea size, but research has yet to substantiate exactly when that rain should occur during plant growth to produce the large-sized pea. Planting a smaller-sized kabuli variety is less risky while the producer is learning to raise the crop. "The first year we planted Frontier, which is a smaller kabuli chickpea, and we didn't have a contract. After that, we contract- ed the crop and raised the larger nine and ten mm sized kabuli," said Geraldine farmer, Chris Diekhans, who has raised chickpea for five years and plans to seed 300 acres of it this year. FOLLOWING GUIDELINES The quote used for chickpea is "Healthy seed is a happy field." It is important to plant disease-resistant varieties and to treat with a fungicide seed treatment, such as metalaxyl, to prevent Pythium seed rot, since this is commonly found in Mon- tana soils. Some farmers treat the seed themselves while others purchase already treated seed. Either way, it's essential that only treated, disease-free, disease-resis- tant varieties are planted. Because the chickpea needs Rhi- zobia bacteria to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, and the plant needs the nitrogen for plant establishment and seed development, it is essential to inoculate with a Rhizobia bacteria particular to the chickpea. Inoculants should be stored in cool, dark conditions prior to seeding, as the bacteria will die if left to sit in warm, dry conditions. Inoculants come in several forms: liquid, peat, and granular, but the granular type has appeared to produce greater yields in Montana. "I use a granular inoculant and put it in a sep- arate compartment on the seeder," said Diekhans. "The granular seems to have more living bacteria over the peat powder and liquid types." Whenever weather permits, growers plant from late March through May. "I Planted close to the surface, chickpea sprouts. Geraldine, Montana farmer, Chris Diekhans, understands the intensive management it takes to grow chickpea. He's constantly reading up on the latest and best practices, following guidelines, and observing his fields closely during the growing season.

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