Researchers uncover natural disease resistance in chickpeas as a harmful pathogen develops resistance to fungicide.
March 3, 2021 – In recent years, hummus has become a pop culture food phenomenon, drawing praises from dieticians for the health benefits and chefs for the flavor.
However, the core ingredient, the chickpea, has had its production threatened.
The chickpea has played a significant role in the vegetarian diet for thousands of years. It is high in protein and rich in important carbohydrates and minerals.
Grown in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains of the United States, the chickpea has an integral role in the agriculture systems of these regions. Recently this role has been threatened by a soil-born water mold, Pythium ultimum.
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Over the past 10,000 years,
Cicer arietinum has gone from being a wild bean in the Neolithic Fertile Crescent to a legume so valuable that its seeds are frozen at Svalbard Global Seed Vault to research and cultivate for future generations.
Chickpeas as we know them today (often referred to by their Spanish name
garbanzos) are considered a sustainable, regenerative crop. The plant not only converts atmospheric nitrogen into a soluble form within soil as a natural fertilizer, but also sequesters carbon, is relatively drought tolerant and can help break disease and weed cycles when used as a cover crop.
Grown predominantly in India, chickpeas also are cultivated in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Turkey and the United States. Chickpeas reached a total global market share of 12.7 million tons in 2019, with forecasts projecting substantial growth through 2025 as demand continues to rise.