Project description

Climate change is increasingly bringing with it extreme weather conditions such as droughts and heatwaves. These changes pose major challenges for domestic agriculture, particularly in terms of food security. Chickpeas can be a promising alternative due to their pronounced drought and heat stress tolerance. In addition, their ability as a legume to bind atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with rhizobia makes them particularly attractive for organic farming.

The KICAT project is dedicated to expanding expertise in chickpea cultivation in Austria. We are acting as a competence centre for chickpeas in response to increasing demand for both chickpea cultivation and the domestic supply of chickpea products.

The project is conducting its own field trials to gain important insights into variety potential, plant health, fertiliser recommendations and quality characteristics. Building on the preliminary trials from the VOPOKI project (preliminary trials to determine the potential of chickpea cultivation in Austria), various genotypes will be tested under different environmental conditions in the three-year follow-up project. The focus will be on

• Juvenile development and vigour
• Maturity and yield behaviour
• Monitoring of plant health and harmful organisms
• Optimal nutrient supply
• Quality characteristics for human nutrition

Benefits of the project

The chickpea is a drought-tolerant legume that is particularly suitable for cultivation in dry regions. It offers a sustainable alternative to conventional crops and contributes to the adaptation of agriculture to climate change. In line with One Health and farm-to-fork strategies, it is a valuable source of vegetable protein and supports the domestic supply of healthy food.