Participatory varietal selection of chickpea in rainfed rice fallow lands of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in India for sustainable crop production

Production and area of chickpea are reducing every year in India due tocompetition with horticulture and other cash crops in irrigated areas. There is a greatscope for expanding chickpea production with or without limited irrigation in rainfedrice fallow lands (RRFL) in the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Nineteenchickpea genotypes were tested using participatory varietal selection (PVS) trials onfarmers’ fields in each of the four districts of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.Among the several traits of the introduced chickpea varieties, grain yield was themost preferred trait by farmers, followed by resistance to diseases and early maturity.Selection of chickpea genotypes varied over time and location depending onagronomic and climatic pressures, indicating a preference by farmers for growingmultiple, improved varieties. Yield potential of PVS genotypes averaged up to 50%greater than the local cultivar. Farmers’ participation in the selection process ofgenotypes laid the foundation of better and sustainable yields of chickpea andthereby providing better economic returns suitable to small farmers of RRFL ofChhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The results of this study can be replicated in thesimilar environments in Asia and Africa.Keywords: Farmer participatory; Improved genotype; Mother and daughter trials;Plant breeding; Rainfed rice fallow; Varietal selection.