Promotion of chickpea cultivation as a drought-tolerant, protein-rich alter native crop for Austria

The main objective of this project is to continue expertise in chickpea cultivation in Austria. With 381 ha (as of 2023, AMA evaluation), chickpea cultivation in Austria is still considered a niche crop. A lack of knowledge about cultivation methods and variety selection makes it difficult for farmers to successfully cultivate chickpeas. However, changes in climatic conditions and increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and heat waves require local agriculture to adapt. Chickpeas, which are considered drought-tolerant and heat-stable, can make an important contribution as a native protein crop. The aim of this project is therefore to identify cultivation potential, particularly for arid areas, which should result in cultivation and variety recommendations for practicing agriculture. An experiment with different chickpea varieties and inoculants is being conducted on the organic fields of BOKU University in Marchfeld with the aim of gaining insights into the nitrogen fixation performance and water use efficiency of chickpeas. These findings could be of great importance for organic farming in particular, as the lack of readily available synthetic fertilizers requires coordinated and balanced crop rotation processes, especially in organic farming.