Tapping the Economic Potential of Chickpea in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Chickpea is a nutrition-rich, cropping-system friendly, climate-resilient, and low-cost production crop. It has large economic potential in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, where it currently accounts for only approximately half a million hectares of the approximately 12 million hectares of total chickpea production land worldwide. This review highlights the opportunities for promoting chickpea production and marketing to tap the vast economic potential in SSA. The region can potentially produce chickpea on approximately 10 million hectares, possibly doubling the global production, and the region could become one of the highest consumption geographies of this healthy crop. Chickpea could easily be integrated into existing cropping systems including rice-fallows and cereal monocropping systems. Successful cases studies of the crop in the region are highlighted. The region could tap into the potential at scale through intervention in the agricultural policy environment and development and promotion of improved chickpea production technologies supported by well-organized extension services and sustainable seed systems. These interventions could be complemented with value addition and product quality improvementsÍ for SSA chickpea to benefit from high-value markets.

Molecular Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Ethiopian Chickpea Germplasm Accessions

“…Southeastern Turkey and adjoining Syria are the primary Vavilovian centers of origin, and Ethiopia is the secondary center of diversity [2,3]. In Ethiopia, chickpea is one of the most economically important legumes produced on an area of 258,486 ha, with a production of 470,000 tons [4][5][6]. Ethiopia is one of the top ten chickpea growing countries across the world and is the leading producer, consumer, and exporter of chickpeas in Africa [7].…”

Genetic variability and population structure of Ethiopian chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm

“…India and Ethiopia have been proposed as secondary centers of diversity for cultivated chickpea [8]. Based on the presence of wild relative (Cicer Cuneatum) found in Northern Ethiopia [9] and the Archaeological evidence from Lalibela caves in Ethiopia with seed samples with seed sample dated at over 2500 years [10], Fikre et al [11] suggested for reconsideration of Ethiopia as the origin of chickpea. However, with the current consensus, Ethiopia is considered as the secondary center of diversity for chickpea [8].…”

“…Because, it serves as a cash crop, break crop for crop diseases managements, a rotational crop for soil fertility restoration, food for human beings, and feed for animals. It is also suitable for sustainable agriculture production system with little or no climatic shocks [11]. In Ethiopia, chickpea is the third largest food legume crop in sowing area and production and the second major export commodity next to white pea beans generating nearly 25% of the total legumes export earnings [13].…”

Effect of planting date and genotype on intercepted radiation and radiation use efficiency in chickpea crop (Cicer arietinum L.)

“…L) is an important food legume crop that is ranked third amongst legumes after dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and field pea (Pisum sativum) (Mubvuma, 2018). The crop is cultivated in semiarid tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Sadras & Calderini, 2020) and interest in chickpea production is growing in many countries because of its uses as a source of livestock feed, human protein, fuel, and fertilizer (Fikre et al, 2020;Martinelli et al, 2020;Santos et al, 2021;Veisi et al, 2020;Mthulisi & Mcebisi, 2020). However, despite all the advantages, the average chickpea seed yield per hectare is very low and ranges from 0.6 to 2.3 t ha −1 in different parts of the world (FAO, 2021).…”