The foliage is covered with glandular hairs which secrete highly acidic exudates, and is considered important in conferring tolerance to insect pests, such as the pod borer. Leaves are compound, arranged in an alternate phyllotary, and generally inparipinnate with 11 to 13 leaflets. Flowers are axillary, solitary, or in inflorescence of two or three. They are white, pink, purplish, or blue in color. The plant has a deep root system and is considered a hardy crop.
Samples are available on request.
Cultivation and adaptation Chickpea is grown mostly as a rainfed, postrainy season, winter crop in subtropical south Asia, parts of Africa, and Australia. It is a spring season crop in the temperate and mediterranean types of climates. In traditional production systems of Asia and Africa it was grown as an intercrop, but in recent years it is mostly cultivated as a sole crop. In low input traditional production systems chickpea has been a preferred crop because of its minimal dependence on monetary inputs of N and P-containing fertilizers, irrigation, and agrochemicals in general. Chickpea is known to confer contribute to sustainability to cropping systems.