Chickpea production in Western Australia took a king hit in the early 2000s when a fungal outbreak hammered grower confidence and reduced crop coverage from 60,000 to 5,000 hectares.

These days, it’s around 10,000 hectares. But with GRDC investment, Chickpea Breeding Australia (CBA) is working to firmly re-establish chickpea production into a premium and profitable product in WA through the release of new varieties.

As CBA program lead Dr Kirsty Hobson explains, the team is working to improve yields, cold tolerance, disease resistance and adaptation to low pH soils.

CBA is a five-year, $30-million breeding initiative that is working to expand the geographic reach of chickpeas from their traditional northern NSW and QLD region stronghold into central and southern NSW and WA.

Contact

Dr Kristy Hobson

CBA program leader and NSW DPI chickpea breeder

kristy.hobson@dpi.nsw.gov.au

More information

• Expanding chickpeas in the west video
• Partnerships galvanised by Chickpea Breeding Australia to deliver for WA