Pusa 256
From IARI — a bold-seeded desi chana bred for large, brown grain that fetches a premium over ordinary desi lots, for both normal and late-sown timing.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Gram (Chana)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 110–115 days
- Seed rate
- 15–18 kg per acre normally, 27 kg/acre in the second fortnight of November and 36 kg/acre in the first fortnight of December
- Expected yield
- 18–20 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate wilt tolerance
- Release
- Multi-location tested 1982–83 to 1986–87, released by IARI in the late 1980s for large/bold-grain-preferring areas; recommended for the Central Zone (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa 256 was tested at multiple locations from 1982–83 to 1986–87 and released by IARI in the late 1980s for areas where large, bold grain is preferred, combining high yield with wide adaptability suited to both normal and late-sown conditions. A certified-seed trade listing and a chickpea wilt-breeding paper on a resistance-improved derivative line both describe Pusa 256’s seed as medium-bold and brown, and recommend it for the Central Zone (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Bundelkhand belt of Uttar Pradesh). That is a desi-type profile — Kabuli chickpeas have cream/beige, not brown, seed coats.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Pusa 256 if your market pays for large grain and your sowing date is not certain. That second half is the real reason: IARI bred it for both normal and late-sown timing, so a delayed sowing does not force you to change variety. Its seed is medium-bold and brown at around 24 g per 100 seeds, which puts it between GNG-1958's 25.4 g and JG 11's 22 g among the desi lines here that publish a figure, with 18–20 q/ha in 110–115 days. Its wilt tolerance is only moderate, and the cost of that is measured: a wilt-resistance-improved line bred from it out-yielded it by roughly 30%, so on wilt-prone land choose JAKI-9218 instead. Note the official recommendation is the Central Zone, wider than the states listed above.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing time25 October to 10 November for the normal crop. For late sowing the seed rate goes up rather than the window stretching (PAU)
- Seed rate15–18 kg per acre normally, 27 kg/acre in the second fortnight of November and 36 kg/acre in the first fortnight of December
- SpacingRows 30 cm apart, sowing depth 10–12.5 cm
- Sowing methodPora or drill sowing with inoculated seed. Deep placement matters: a shallow-sown crop is the one that goes down to wilt
- IrrigationHeavy pre-sowing irrigation and one more between mid-December and end-January (PAU)
- Fertilizer6 kg N and 8 kg P2O5 per acre for desi gram, all at sowing (PAU)
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Medium-bold, attractive brown seed (independently reported around 24 g/100 seed) suited to markets that pay a premium for large grain
- Bred and tested specifically for both normal and late-sown timing, giving some sowing flexibility
Things to consider
- Pusa 256 is an old IARI release grown far beyond the three states listed above — the ICAR AICRP chickpea table records it across the north-western, central and eastern belts. Treat the list as where it is commonly grown, not a limit.
- Its wilt resistance is only moderate — Pusa 256 has since been used as the recipient parent for a wilt-resistance-improved line (‘Samriddhi’/IPCMB 19-3) that showed a roughly 30% yield advantage over Pusa 256 itself, which is a sign the original line has real room for improvement against Fusarium wilt
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Madhya Pradesh
A late sowing without losing grain size
Pusa 256 was bred at IARI for large, brown grain that fetches more than an ordinary desi lot, and it is used for both normal and late sowing. That combination is useful where the field is free late but you still want bold grain to sell.
A late crop has less time, so give it a better start. Sow into moisture, keep the seed rate up, and be ready with an irrigation at pod-fill, because a late crop meets the warm weather exactly when grain is filling. Do not add extra nitrogen to make up for lost time; chickpea fixes its own and extra nitrogen grows leaf. At sale, grade by size and keep the bold brown grain separate from any small or mixed lot — the premium only shows up when the sample in the trader's hand looks uniform.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Gram (Chana) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GNG-1581 (desi) | Light north-west soils where wilt and blight both show up | About 151 days | High | Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| GNG-1958 (desi) | Normal-sown irrigated chana across the North Western Plain Zone | 135–145 days | 26.8 q/ha | Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| JAKI-9218 (desi) | Central-plateau chana on land with a wilt and root-rot history | About 120 days | High | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh |
| JG 11 | Early bold-seeded chana for the southern zone and tight rabi windows | 95–100 days | 18–20 q/ha | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| JG-14 (desi) | Early desi chana for double-cropping and escaping late-season heat | 100–105 days | High | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat |
| JGK-1 (kabuli) | Central-zone kabuli chana on good soil with careful management | 105–120 days | Medium–High | Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh |
| Kak-2 (kabuli) | Extra-large kabuli grain for the premium and export market | 90–100 days | Medium–High | Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat |
| Pusa 256this page | Bold brown desi grain, with room for a late sowing | 110–115 days | 18–20 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh |
| Pusa 372 | Wide-area desi chana that also works for a late sowing | 130–140 days | 20–22 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan |
| Vijay (desi) | Rainfed chana on the plateau, where moisture runs out at pod-fill | 105–110 days | 20–25 q/ha | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Gram (Chana) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Gram (Chana) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Gram (Chana) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Gram (Chana) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Gram (Chana) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Gram (Chana) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Gram (Chana) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pusa 256 a desi or Kabuli chickpea?
It is a bold-seeded desi type, not Kabuli — every independently found source describes its seed as medium-bold and brown, which is a desi trait; Kabuli chickpeas have cream or beige seed coats.
Where is Pusa 256 officially recommended?
The Central Zone: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Bundelkhand belt of Uttar Pradesh. This is broader than the Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh listed above.
How late can I sow Pusa 256?
It was bred and tested for both normal and late sowing, which is its main flexibility. A late crop still gives up some yield, so sow as early as your previous crop allows and keep the irrigation ready for pod-fill.
Is Pusa 256 a kabuli chana?
No, it is a bold-seeded desi. Its seed is medium-bold and brown, and kabuli chana has a cream or beige seed coat. If a dealer sells you brown grain as kabuli, that is not what the premium market buys.
Should I worry about wilt with Pusa 256?
Keep it in mind. Its wilt tolerance is moderate, and breeders used Pusa 256 as the base for an improved line that yielded roughly 30% more by adding wilt resistance — a sign the original has real room there. Treat the seed, rotate, and on a field with a wilt history pick a resistant variety.
What fertiliser does Pusa 256 need?
6 kg N and 8 kg P2O5 per acre for desi gram, all at sowing (PAU). Treat the seed with rhizobium if you have not grown chana in that field recently, because the nodules do the rest of the nitrogen work for you.
How long does Pusa 256 take?
110–115 days, which leaves room for a sowing that slips past the usual window. That is why it is a common pick where the rice or cotton ahead of it came off late, though a late sowing still costs you some yield from the 18–20 q/ha listed.
Sourced from: Package of Practices for Rabi Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: gram sowing window, seed rate for normal and late sowing, spacing, fertiliser and irrigation. editorial policy.