Assessing chickpea yield gaps in India: A tale of two decades

Chickpea is a major pulse crop in India and critical in ensuring nutritional security to the largely vegetarian population of the country. Despite contributing more than 70% to the global chickpea area and production, India remains a net importer of chickpea due to high national demand. Although significant yield increases have been reported under experimental research conditions, farm-level increases have been more modest. The yield gaps between potential (research plot), achievable (frontline demonstration (FLD)) and farmer (national) have been estimated based on yield data from the Indian National Agriculture Research System trials and official data from the Ministry of Agriculture for the past 20 years. The potential yield showed a moderate increase while achievable yield showed slight negative growth. Over the same period, the average farmer yield reflected a slow but steady growth. This implies an opportunity to increase farmer yields through policy intervention and technology. Although the total yield gap between potential and that realized by farmers have remained the same over the years, yield losses have been due more to upscaling of technology than to variable fields managed by farmers. Farmers are realizing better yields which can be attributed to better access to improved varieties as well as favourable policy support. To obtain self-sufficiency in pulses by 2050, annual growth of 2.14% in production is required. This could be achieved through innovative research interventions backed up by appropriate policy support.