The main objective of this project is to continue building expertise in chickpea cultivation in Austria, as chickpea cultivation in Austria remains a niche crop, covering 381 hectares (as of 2023, according to AMA data).

 A lack of knowledge regarding cultivation methods and variety selection makes it difficult for farmers to successfully grow chickpeas. However, changes in climatic conditions and increasingly frequent weather extremes such as droughts and heat waves require the adaptation of local crop production. In this context, chickpea crop, which is considered drought-tolerant and heat-stable, can make an important contribution as a native protein crop. Thus, the goal of this project is to assess cultivation potential, particularly for arid regions, which should result in cultivation and variety recommendations for practicing farmers. On the organic fields of BOKU University in the Marchfeld region, a precision trial with various chickpea varieties and inoculants is being established with the aim of gaining insights into the nitrogen-fixing capacity and water-use efficiency of chickpeas. These findings can be of particular importance for organic farming as the lack of options for using readily available synthetic fertilizers requires coordinated and balanced crop rotation practices, especially in organic farming.

Link to the project lead: https://www.ages.at/forschung/projekt-highlights/kicat