Canadian production is forecast to increase again in 2001-2002. This issue of the Bi-weekly Bulletin examines the situation and outlook for chick peas. The two commercial types of chick peas produced are desi and kabuli. Kabuli chick peas, also known as garbanzo beans, have a larger, cream-coloured seed with a thin seed coat. The desi type has a smaller, darker coloured seed with a thick seed coat.
Chick peas are relatively drought tolerant due to the long tap root.
They are not well adapted to high moisture areas, saline soils, soils which are slow to warm in the spring and wet or waterlogged soils. It may be advantageous to avoid seeding chick peas in low lying areas of the field, around sloughs or in areas of high soil organic matter to prevent uneven or prolonged maturity. Chick pea production works well in rotation with cereal grains such as spring or durum wheat. Aschochyta susceptible varieties should not be grown. In areas where aschochyta blight is a problem, chick peas should not be seeded in the same field more than one year in four.