Introduction to Major Field Crops

Origin

The gram is said to be one of the oldest pulses known and cultivated from ancient times both in Asia and Europe. Vavilov (1926, 1949-50) designated two primary centers of origin, southwest Asia and Mediterranean, a secondary one, Ethiopia. There are linguistic indications that the large-seeded, cream coloured gram reached India two centuries ago, apparently through Afghanistan, as its Hindi name Kabuli channa, an illusion to the Afghanistan capital Kabul.