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Cultivation trial in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district shows potential for local marketing
DARMSTADT-DIEBURG – Small, protein-rich, and resistant to heat and drought: The chickpea is considered a legume with a future. Climate change is also making it interesting for farmers in southern Hesse. A recent cultivation trial now shows: The chickpea thrives here – with encouraging results.
Project in its second year
Under the motto "Here I am! Can the chickpea become a local crop in southern Hesse?", the project is now in its second year. The first of the six participating farmers has already harvested – with a surprising result: 4.5 tons of chickpeas. The remaining farms are expected to bring in their harvest within the next two weeks.
In the trial year of 2024, the results were considerably more subdued: Four farms participated, but only one was able to harvest enough to market. This was due to a lack of experience and, above all, excessively wet weather. Chickpeas prefer warm and dry conditions – a climate that is expected to become more frequent in southern Hesse in the future.
Building a marketing structure
Since a successful harvest was initially uncertain, the farmers had not yet sought buyers for larger quantities. Now, the focus is shifting to developing a marketing structure – supported by the Southern Organic Model Region , which is overseeing the project. Three of the six participating farms operate organically, meaning that both organic and conventionally grown chickpeas can be offered in the future.
Consumer demand is growing
With its high protein content and versatility, the chickpea is particularly suitable for canteens, cafeterias, and large-scale kitchens – whether as hummus, falafel, gluten-free flour, or as an ingredient in salads, bowls, and stews. Interest is also growing in restaurants, grocery stores, and farm shops.
Tasting events organized by the Southern Organic Model Region have already shown that the locally grown chickpea is well-received: A long queue formed at one event in the canteen of the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, and the planned number of portions was significantly exceeded. The Freudenberg company in Weinheim also successfully tested the legume in 2024 and will again purchase a portion of the harvest.
Contribution to soil fertility
All participating farms are currently cultivating the "Rondo" variety, which proved to have the best yields in 2024. Chickpeas also improve soil fertility: their roots form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that fix nitrogen in the soil – thus reducing the need for fertilizer. Even though 2024 and 2025 weren't ideal years for chickpeas, one thing is certain: the next hot and dry summer is sure to come.
background
The project “Here I am! Can the chickpea become established in southern Hesse?” of the Southern Organic Model Region imparts knowledge about chickpea cultivation and develops structures for processing, cultivation, and marketing. It is funded by the State of Hesse in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Organic Action Plan 2020–2025.
(GROSS-GERAU – PSGG)
