Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum L.) Seed Production - Efresh India

Bengal Gram(Cicer arietinum L.) Seed Production 

Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum L.) Seed Production 

The seed material is an important item in any production of agricultural commodities. Farmers 

generally purchase seed from co farmers or from dealers in the market for raising crops. 

Production of crops by farmers is for their own use and what ever is extra over and above their 

own consumption will be sold to others or in the market. 

While purchasing seed from co farmers one has to observe: 

Whether the seed crop is thoroughly rouged or not. 

What is the yielding capacity of the variety? 

Whether the variety is free from pests and diseases etc. 

If the farmer is fully satisfied then only that seed has to be procured. 

Precaution to be taken while purchasing seed from the market: 

‣ Purchase seed from reliable source only 

‣ Purchase from authorized/licensed dealer. 

‣ Take receipt. 

‣ Check MRP (Maximum Retail Price) before purchase. Price should not exceed MRP. 

‣ Check whether the seal of bag or container is intact or not 

‣ If seal is broken don’t purchase, select another good one. 

‣ Check germination percentage before sowing at the house/farm. It can be easily done. 

Count 100 seeds. Sow these seeds @ 10/line in 10 lines. 

‣ Give light watering regularly every day till germination takes place in about a week’s time. 

‣ Observe number of seedlings germinated , so that the germination percentage is known in 

advance of sowing 

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‣ If the germination percentage is less than 80% extra seed has to be sown to compensate 

for loss in germination percentage 

‣ Preserve the bill, bag and Tag till the end of the season i.e., harvest of the crop. 

If there is poor germination it has to be reported to the local agriculture officer concerned in 

writing. The Director of Research of Agricultural University will nominate a scientist to visit the field 

along with Agricultural Departmental Officials, to check seed plots and ascertain whether there 

are defects in seed or not. If the seed is defective farmer has to file a case against the seed 

company in the consumer forum to get compensation. 

If defects are noticed in the middle of the season like no flowering in the crop; admixtures in the 

variety; even then farmer has to report to the local agricultural officer in writing about the defects 

in the variety supplied. He has to produce proof of purchase namely bill, bag or container. The 

team will give a report. Based on the report if the defect in the variety is confirmed farmer 

can go to consumer forum to get compensation. 

Where ever farmers produce seed on large scale it has to be sold to others. 

Production of bengal gram seed by farmers is mainly of two types: Seed production with 

out certification (for self consumption and local selling) and with certification (for selling in far 

away places at production centres i.e. for growing over a wide area. 

Uncertified seed is mainly meant for growing in nearby or local area. It may be in the 

same village or surrounding villages, or where popularity exists for such uncertified seed based on 

faith. 

Uncertified seed: 

‣ Uncertified seed is mainly meant for growing in nearby or local area. 

‣ It may be in the same village or surrounding villages, or where popularity exists for such 

uncertified seed based on faith. 

‣ Procurement of seed required for seed production can be from farmers own seed or 

procured from public or private organisations. 

‣ Identify vigorously growing healthy plants, free from insect pests and diseases. 

‣ Harvest seed from them and use for producing seed. 

‣ Following Isolation requirement, periodical rouging before/during flowering and during pod 

development helps in improving quality and also market value of seed produced from it 

compared to not following all these practices. 



‣ All cultivation practices are similar to certified seed. But there is neither registration with 

certifying agency nor buy back agreement with any private/public organisation. 

‣ Seed produced in this manner will be sold to persons having faith on the producer. 

‣ To such seed producers it is advised to procure foundation seed from organisations like 

Agricultural University/ICAR research stations for producing certified seed. 

‣ Clean cultivation along with timely rouging and harvesting is to be done. 

‣ Threshing and cleaning can be taken up individually. 

‣ Processing packing marketing etc can be done individually or through farmer’s societies. 

‣ Registration with seed cortication agency of the state concerned like Andhra Pradesh 

State Seed Certification Agency (APSSCA) for AP can be done individually or as a group 

in a contiguous area. 

Thus farmers can get 20-50% more income in seed production compared to commercial 

cultivation of bengal gram. 

Certified seed is mainly meant for growing over a wide area even throughout globe. Certified seed 

production details are given here. 

Cultivation: 

Bengal gram Cultivation 

Soil Requirement: Bengal gram can grow well on sandy soils, and also in black soils having 

good drainage. Where ever commercial crop of bengal gram is possible to produce well, such 

areas are also suitable to produce seed, provided isolation is taken care of and land must be free 

from volunteer bengal gram plants. 



Isolation requirement: Bengal gram is classified as self pollinated crop. Pollen shedding takes 

place long before petal opening. 

Isolation requirement for foundation seed: 10 metres 

” certified seed: 5 m is required from fields of other bengal gram 

varieties and of the same variety not confirming to varietal purity requirements of 

certification. 

Land preparation: 

After harvest of kharif crop light field preparation will be done so that top soil is free 

from weeds and at the same time stored soil moisture is preserved to the maximum extent for 

crop use. 

Sowing time / season 

Chickpea is rabi crop and is being sown in India from September to November. Best time 

for seed crop is second fortnight of October. Delayed sowing is to be avoided for seed crop. Yield 

will decrease drastically if sown beyond November. 

Seed source: Obtain higher grade seed (to produce certified seed, foundation seed is to be 

obtained) from source approved by the concerned state seed certification agency. If seed 

production is for private company then that company will supply seed. 

Seed treatment: Treat seed with Pseudomonas fluorescence @ 10 g/kg seed. Bio control agents 

are compatible with bio fertilizers. First treat seed with bio control agents and then with Rhizobium. 

‣ Treat with Rhizobial culture 

‣ One packet of 200 g Rhizobial culture is sufficient for treating 8 kg seed. 

‣ Bacterial culture slurry may be prepared with rice gruel (ganji) or jaggery solution. 

‣ Dry bacterial culture treated seed in shade for 15 minutes before sowing. 

Method of sowing: Sowing is done either with seed cum fertiliser drill or dropped in plough 

furrow. Depth of seeding: 7-10 cm 

Spacing & Seed rate: 

Desi type bengal gram sown in October depending on size of seed: 30-40 kg/Ac 

November sown crop: 36-48 kg/Ac 

Bold Kabuli type: 40-50 kg/Ac 

Sowing in lines at 30 x 10 cm will facilitate inter cultivation at 20-25 days to conserve soil moisture 

and to arrest weed growth. 



Manuring & Fertilisation: 

About 2 t/Ac FYM/compost + 20 kg urea + 150 kg SSP can be applied and incorporated 

before sowing seed. 

Foliar spray of 15 g urea/litre water (Maximum 20 g/l) at flowering and again at grain 

development stages improve yield. 

Irrigation 

‣ In seed production, irrigating when moisture deficit occurs, will improve yield and profits 

greatly. 

‣ One pre sowing irrigation (if soil moisture is not enough) and 1 or 2 light irrigations during 

moisture deficit periods between 45 and 75 DAS are needed to obtain good yields. 

‣ While giving irrigation, see that there will not be any stagnation of water. 

‣ Irrigation before flowering and at pod formation improve yield greatly. 

Weed Management & Interculture: 

Spraying @ 1 litre fluchloralin 45%/Ac before sowing or 

spraying @ 1 litre pendimethaline 30%/Ac in light soil or 1.5 litre/Ac in black soil 

immediately after sowing or within 24 hrs after sowing is recommended. 

Inter culture operation with blade harrow (Chinna Guntaka) can be at 20-25 DAS to 

remove weeds between rows. Balance weeds within row may be removed by hand depending on 

weed growth. 

Important pests and diseases: 

Important insect pests of bengal gram include gram caterpillar (Helicoverpa (Heliothis) 

armigera Hubner) and tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera exigua). 

Gram caterpillar (Helicoverpa (Heliothis) armigera Hubner): It eats away, flowers and pods. Adult 

keep one egg on each flower or pod and caterpillar that emerge from each egg feed on that flower 

or bores into pod and feeds on seed. 

1. Install 4 pheromone traps/Ac & observe for pest incidence. 

2. Set up 20 bird perches/Ac. 

3. Immediately after observing eggs or early instar larvae, spray 5% NSKE (50 g crushed 

neem seed in 50 litre water) or 5 ml/litre neem oil (azadirachtin) in initial stages for ovicidal 

action to kill eggs of Helicoverpa. 



4. Spray @ 2.0 ml quinalphos 25 EC or 1 g Acephate or 1 ml indoxacarb or 0.3 ml spinosad 

45 sc /litre water. 200 litre spray fluid/Ac is required. Total 2-3 sprays during flowering and 

pod formation stages, at 10 day interval are required. Change chemical each time. 

Male (left) and Female (right) 

moths of Helicoverpa armigera 

H. armigera eggs on chickpea leaves 

H. armigera feeding on leaves H. armigera feeding on pods 

Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera exigua): This pest damages the crop in initial stages. It 

damages the bud between first two laves by scratching the green matter from it. It also feeds on 

leaves during growth period. 

For control, spray @ 2.5 ml chlorpyriphos or 2.0 ml quinalphos 25 EC or 1 g Acephate or 1 ml 

diflubenzuron/litre water. 200 litre spray fluid/Ac is required. Total 2-3 sprays at 10-15 days 

interval are required. Change chemical each time. 

Important diseases include wilt and root rot. 

Wilt: 



Fusarium Wilt 

During early stages affected plants die quickly. During early growth leaves dry up first followed by 

death of plant later. 

Treat with 2.5 g thiram/captan/carbendazim/kg seed and then sow. Susceptible varieties should 

not be grown continuously for 3-4 years in the same field. Crop rotation and seed treatment is 

essential. 

Root rot: 

Root rot 

This disease occurs when there is deficit of moisture and if temperature is 30 o C. 

Seed treatment is essential. Treat with 2.5 g thiram/captan/carbendazim/kg seed and then sow. 

Roguing: 

Roguing 

‣ Rogue off type and diseased plants affected by blight and wilt in seed field from time to 

time. 



‣ Minimum number of 2 field inspections will be done by certification agency during 

flowering to harvest. 

Bengal gram crop at Flowering Stage 

Different Stages of Bengal Gram 

Harvesting, threshing & cleaning: 

Harvesting f seed crop can be done when seeds are fully mature. At this sage leaves are reddish 

brown. Plants ready for harvest are pulled out, or cut with sickles stacked in small heaps for a 

week or 2 to dry and then threshed. Harvesting and threshing operations can also be done by 

harvesters and threshers which are available on subsidy from government. 

Yield: Yield varies from 8-10 q/Ac in irrigated crop. 

Storing: 

‣ Graded seed should be further dried to 9% moisture. 

‣ For storing seed in dry places up to six months, they should be packed in fresh thick cloth 

or gunny bags. 



‣ For storing in humid areas and for long term (1-2 years) storage; they should be packed in 

moisture-vapour-proof container like polythene bags of 700 gauge. 

‣ These bags should be filled with seed leaving only sufficient space to close their opening 

by perfectly heat-sealing to make it air tight. 

‣ They should be stitched and closed. 

‣ These bags may in turn be covered by gunny bags and closed before stocking to prevent 

slipping. 

‣ Store seed bags on racks or wooden pallets in a dry storage room. 

‣ Another method treating seed with halogen mixture (containing pure CaOC1, CaCO3 and 

arappu leaf powder in 5:5:1 ratio @ 3g/kg) and store in 700 gauge poly bags to maintain 

high germination for more than 10 months. 

Care must be taken to prevent mechanical admixture during sowing, harvesting, 

threshing, winnowing, drying, bagging, storing etc. 

Do’s and Don’ts 

Do’s 

1. Bengal gram cultivation should be done only in well drained soils. Weed free field 

preparation needed. 

2. Use quality higher grade seed to produce quality lower grade seed. 

3. Use optimum seed rate and sow in time. 

4. Follow effective control measures in pest and disease control. 

5. Avoid moisture stress before flowering and seed development stage. 

6. Take up soil and moisture conservation measures for rain fed crop. 

7. Foliar spray @ 10-15 g urea/litre water at the initial reproductive stage is beneficial 

for increasing yield in rain fed drought condition. 

Don’ts 

1. Don’t take up bengal gram seed production in saline or water logged soils as they 

are not suitable for its cultivation. 

2. Don’t cultivate bengal gram seed crop in soils with poor drainage. 



3. Don’t mix bio agents like Trichoderma viridae or Rhizobium with chemical 

pesticides 

Seed certification procedures are given in annexure 

ANNXURE 

Seed Certification Procedures 

Phases of Seed Certification 

Certification shall be completed in six broad phases listed here under 

• Receipt and scrutiny of application. 

• Verification of seed source, class and other requirements of the seed used for raising the seed 

crop. 

• Field inspections to verify conformity of the standing crop to the prescribed field standards. • 

Supervision at post-harvest stages including processing and packaging; 

• Seed sampling and analysis, including genetic purity test and / or seed health test, if any, in 

order to verify conformity to the prescribed standards and 

• Grant of certificate and certification tags, bagging and sealing. 

Seed Certification Procedures 

_ All the seed material to be used for seed production programme is subject to verification by the 

Agency. The seed producer should submit to the Agency relevant evidence such as certification 

tags, seals, labels, seed containers, purchase records, sales records etc, as may be demanded by 

the Agency during scrutiny of the application and/or during the first inspection of the seed crop in 

order to confirm that the seed used for raising the crop has been obtained from a source approved 

by the Agency and conforms to the class of seed required for seed production. A sourceverification 

register containing relevant information as prescribed should be maintained by the 

seed producer for verification by Agency staff. 

_ after source verification application for certification should be submitted in the prescribed FORM- 

1 in triplicate to the concerned Assistant Director of Seed Certification. FORM-1 is available with 

the divisional and zonal offices of the Agency._ FORM-1 should be submitted within 30 days from 

the date of sowing or 15 days from the date of transplanting as the case may be. 

_ The relevant seed certification charges such as Registration fee, inspection fee grow out test 

charges (wherever necessary), seed testing charges, etc. should be remitted along with FORM-1, 

_ Separate FORM-1 should be submitted for certification of each variety. The FORM-1 should 

contain complete details of the name and address of the seed producer; season of production; 

name and address of the grower; location of the seed plot; crop/ variety and class of seed to be 



produced; area under seed production; details of parental seed materials used with lot number; 

date of sowing and the particulars of seed certification charges remitted. 

• In a single application, the maximum area that can be offered for certification is 25 acres. 

Additional area will require separate application. 

• No refund of inspection and registration fee will be made once the seed plot has been visited / 

inspected by the Seed Certification Officer. 

• The seed producer should assist the Agency staff in locating the seed plots during the first 

inspection. 

• Seed producers should guide their growers in agronomic practices, pest/disease control etc., for 

seed production. 

• Only seed from plots meeting all the prescribed field standards for certification is accepted for 

processing at the recognised seed processing plants. 

• All the necessary care should be taken to avoid admixture during harvesting, threshing and 

transportation. 

• Harvested seed produce from the approved fields should be brought to the seed processing unit 

and seeds are certified within 2 ½ months from the date of harvest. 

• Certification of a seed lot will be taken up only if the seed lots have met the prescribed field and 

seed standards. 

FIELDINSPECTION 

Inspection of the standing crop is an essential step in verifying conformity of seed crop to 

prescribed minimum seed-certification standards. All the registered seed production fields will be 

inspected by qualified, trained and experienced officers of the Agency. 

Verification of all factors affecting seed quality in the field may not normally be possible in a single 

inspection as all the factors in the field may not be apparent or may not occur at the same time or 

all of them may not affect seed quality at the same stage of crop growth. Hence two or more 

inspections phased to cover all the important stages of crop growth are required for most crops. 

The number of inspections and the stages of crop growth at which they should be conducted vary 

from crop to crop depending on the crop duration, pollination behavior, susceptibility to 

contamination, disease-susceptible stages, nature of the contaminating factors, etc. 

Accordingly field inspection of seed certification plots is conducted at vegetative or pre-flowering 

stage; flowering stage, post-flowering and pre-harvest stage. 

Field Inspections at vegetative or pre flowering stages are done to confirm the actual acreage 

planted and compare it with the acreage allotted or for which the application was submitted and to 

record the excess area if any and to confirm actual date of sowing/planting. 

. .verify, for seed crops involving two different parents, whether the grower has followed the 



recommended planting ratios and border rows and has marked" the end of each male row: verify 

the presence of any contaminant within the prescribed isolation distance, guide the grower in 

solving the isolation if any and advise the grower to remove the same before flowering. 

* advise the removal of all off types on the basis of vegetative characters. 

* detect occurrence of any contamination within the isolation distance and to determine the area to 

be rejected due to inadequate isolation. 

* guide the grower in solving nicking problems wherever applicable. 

* verify morphological characters of the crop. 

* Inspection at post-flowering and pre harvest stages is done to confirm that the observations on 

planting ratios, planting of border rows, off types, de tasseling of maize crosses, removal of pollen 

shedders in bajra, sorghum, sunflower etc. during previous inspections are reasonably accurate 

and the defects in these factors had not escaped attention in earlier inspections. 

* Confirm that the grower had done through roguing after the inspection at flowering. 

verify the removal of contaminating factors, objectionable weed plants and diseased plants/heads. 

* educate the grower about harvesting technology, give guidance regarding the care to be taken 

during harvesting, threshing and transportation, and assess the expected yield (approximate) from 

the seed crop. 

PRESCRIBED FIELD STANDARDS FOR GREEN GRAM UNDER CERTIFICATION 

Maximum permissible level off types in Foundation seed 0.10 % Certified seed 0.20 % 

FIELD COUNTS 

For all crops five counts are taken for an area up to 5 acres, and an additional count taken for 

each additional five acres as given below. 

Area of the field crop, Acres 

No. of counts to be taken 

0-5 5 

5-10 6 

10-15 7 

15-20 8 

20-25 9 

In any inspection if the first set of counts shows that the seed crop does not confirm to the 

prescribed standards for any factor, 'a second set of counts should be taken for that factor. 

However, when the first set of counts shows a factor is more than twice the maximum permitted it 

is not necessary to take a second set of counts. Two sets of counts are called double counts. 

Some cops tiller others do not, some are planted narrow. Others wide, thus the number of 



plants/heads comprising a single count differs from crop to crop. No. of plants/head per count in 

bengal gram is 500 

Seed crops meeting the prescribed field standards for certification will be harvested, threshed and 

transported to seed processing plants authorised by STATE SEED CERTIFICATION AGENCY 

along with Final Filed Inspection Report issued by the concerned Seed Certification Officer. 

REJECTION OF SEED PLOTS 

The agency has the authority to reject seed plots offered for certification on the following grounds. 

The isolation distance is inadequate. 

The seed crop does not conform to the prescribed field standards for any factor or contaminant 

One-third or more of a self-pollinated crop is so heavily lodged as to render it impossible to take 

the field counts. 

One-third or more is lodged just prior to or during flowering so that inspection during flowering is 

difficult / not possible. 

The application in Form-1 has been submitted late viz., when the crop has crossed the flowering 

stage by the time of the first inspection. 

RE-INSPECTION 

In case of seed fields rejected due to nonconformity to the prescribed field standards at a certain 

inspection, the Agency shall, at the producer's request and after removal of source of 

contamination or contaminant plants in the seed field by the grower, undertake one re-inspection 

over and above the number of inspections prescribed for the crop provided the removal of the 

source of contamination can ensure conformity of the seed crop to the standards prescribed and 

provided further that no irreversible damage has been caused to the quality of the seed by the 

contaminant(s) 

HARVESTING, THRESHING AND TRANSPORTATION 

A seed crop meeting the field standards for certification shall be properly 

harvested, threshed, dried and transported to the registered seed processing unit and certified 

within 2+ months from the date of harvest. During these operations seed producers/growers 

should take all necessary precautions to safeguard seed quality by preventing seed admixture and 

other causes of contamination at any stage not supervised by the Agency.

Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum L.) Seed Production - Efresh India

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