Chickpea (garbanzo bean) as a cover crop

Fred Hempel · November 22, 2013

I am going to trial chickpea (garbanzo bean) as a cover crop on about an acre this winter/spring.

Anyone have any success or horror stories associated with growing chickpeas as a cover crop?

Fred Hempel · November 28, 2013

Has anyone grown chickpeas at all? Hmmmmm.....

joseph · November 28, 2013

I grow chickpeas. In my garden they can be planted the day after the snow melts. I haven't tried overwintering them. For me, they are a delicate plant (frilly) that grows slowly and does not compete well with weeds. I would think that they are not suitable as a cover crop.

Dutch · November 28, 2013

I have cereal rye in this year and I have not tried chickpeas as a cover crop, but it does look interesting.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.)

Warm Season, broadleafAnnual

Legume (N-fixation)

Two types – Desi and Kabuli

Upright and spreading plant architecture

Common name: garbanzo bean

Low water use

Poor salinity tolerance

Seeding depth: 1 ½ – 2 inches

Crude protein: straw 6%, grain 22%

C:N ratio: leaf 10 - 15, stem 26 - 56, root 16 - 27

Forms arbuscular mycorrhizal associations

Flowers attract bees

http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles...v13_5_2012.pdf

Dutch

Worth1 · November 28, 2013

Crimson Clover as a cover crop would be good.
If it is turned under before it blooms it will put 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre back into the soil.

Worth

paulgrow · November 29, 2013

I grew crimson clover as a CC this year.
It worked out really well.

November 30, 2013

Annual rye grass has worked well for me as a cover crop to enhance the soil. I used to plant crimson clover, annual rye, and turnips as cover crops on a deer lease and the deer seemed to like all three.

Ted

November 22, 2013	#1
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Chickpea (garbanzo bean) as a cover crop I am going to trial chickpea (garbanzo bean) as a cover crop on about an acre this winter/spring. Anyone have any success or horror stories associated with growing chickpeas as a cover crop?

November 29, 2013	#6
paulgrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Allen Park, MI Posts: 178	I grew crimson clover as a CC this year. It worked out really well. __________________ A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~Author Unknown~

November 28, 2013	#2
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Has anyone grown chickpeas at all? Hmmmmm.....

November 28, 2013	#3
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	I grow chickpeas. In my garden they can be planted the day after the snow melts. I haven't tried overwintering them. For me, they are a delicate plant (frilly) that grows slowly and does not compete well with weeds. I would think that they are not suitable as a cover crop.

November 28, 2013	#4
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	I have cereal rye in this year and I have not tried chickpeas as a cover crop, but it does look interesting. Chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.) Warm Season, broadleafAnnual Legume (N-fixation) Two types – Desi and Kabuli Upright and spreading plant architecture Common name: garbanzo bean Low water use Poor salinity tolerance Seeding depth: 1 ½ – 2 inches Crude protein: straw 6%, grain 22% C:N ratio: leaf 10 - 15, stem 26 - 56, root 16 - 27 Forms arbuscular mycorrhizal associations Flowers attract bees http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles...v13_5_2012.pdf Dutch

November 28, 2013	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Crimson Clover as a cover crop would be good. If it is turned under before it blooms it will put 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre back into the soil. Worth

November 30, 2013	#7
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	Annual rye grass has worked well for me as a cover crop to enhance the soil. I used to plant crimson clover, annual rye, and turnips as cover crops on a deer lease and the deer seemed to like all three. Ted