The most promising yields were recorded in the Queensland and Kununurra trials. Wagga Wagga on a plant improvement program for grain legumes, with particular emphasis on chickpea. Chickpea is now grown in all States except Tasmania with Victoria, NSW and Queensland the main producers. It has fitted in well as a winter crop in the wheat growing areas in these States and in South Australia. Being a legume, it is able to meet its own nitrogen needs and also provide a residue of nitrogen for succeeding cereal crops.
Desi chickpeas are small and angular with thick seed coats and are mainly split to form dhal.
Kabuli chickpeas have a large rounded seed, cream to white in colour, and are favoured for use in a range of traditional dishes. During the first decade of production, the problems encountered included weeds, lodging, sensitivity to waterlogging and cold, Heliothis insect damage and Phytophthora root rot. These have been largely overcome by the development of improved cultivars and improved cultivation practices. Although India is the largest producer of chickpea, it regularly experiences serious shortfalls and thus was the main importer of Australian chickpeas initially. In recent years, Australia has diversified its export markets to include Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.