Field evaluation of new Kabuli chick-peas lines for the production of canned seeds

There is an increased demand for canned chickpeas worldwide, whichhas also resulted in increased chickpea cultivation in Italy. The availability ofItalian chickpea varieties, suitable for industrial transformation, is limited. Theobjective of the present study was to evaluate the field production of newKabuli chickpea accessions and their suitability for industrial transformation.Thirteen accessions, provided by the International Centre for AgriculturalResearch of Turkey, together with ‘Blanco Sinaloa’, a commercial Mexican vari-ety, were cultivated in Cesa, Tuscany, in 2016 and 2017. The average seed yieldwas 2.8 and 3.4 t ha-1, respectively, in 2016 and 2017. Increased yield in 2017was attributable to a more balanced rainfall pattern, compared to that in 2016which induced increased vegetative growth. Based on production stability overthe two-year trial, the varieties FLIP08-69C, FLIP-160C and FLIP05-157C turnedout particularly suitable for cultivation. The climatic conditions in 2017 favoredan increased presence of a Grade B seed classification (220-250 seeds per 100 g[caliber 8]) which is preferred by industry. Most varieties showed potentialregarding seed dimension classification, however, of the varieties with a goodproduction, FLIP05-157C was also characterized by seed gradation stability.