Chickpea – Varieties
Variety Testing Procedures
Registered chickpea varieties are entered into the Alberta Regional Variety Test Program. These trials are run annually across the province to collect yield and agronomic data. This data is then made publicly available through the Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Seed Guide.
The data and descriptions include:
- Varieties currently being tested.
- Varieties previously tested, with sufficient data, are also listed as “fully tested varieties”.
- When pedigreed seed of the older varieties becomes unavailable in Alberta, the variety will be removed.
Choosing a Chickpea Variety
Yield is an obvious consideration within a market class. However, other characteristics such as disease tolerance, maturity, or harvestability can quickly overshadow potential yield gains if the plant is limited in reaching its full potential.
Most of the current varieties have improved resistance to Ascochyta blight. Continued breeding efforts are underway to increase the levels of resistance to Ascochyta blight, decrease days to maturity, and improve seed quality.
Variety Checklist |
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yield |
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Location |
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height |
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Standability |
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Maturity/days to flower |
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Seed Size, Shape, and seed coat color |
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market |
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Disease resistance |
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RESOURCES
LINKS
- Alberta Regional Variety Test Program (links to on-line tool)
- Alberta Seed Guide – Seed for Sale
- Government of Alberta – Seeding Rate Calculator
Special thanks to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.