Market Class: Desi Chickpea
Year Released to Seed Growers: 2021
Sub-licensed Outside of SK: McDougall Acres
International Distribution Rights: Not assigned
Breeder: Dr. Bunyamin Tar’an, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Plant Breeders Rights: PBR’91
Description
CDC Sunset (2510-2) is a good yielding desi chickpea variety with tolerance to imazamox herbicide (Solo ADV as per PMRA label registration). In 4 years of testing in the Chickpea Regional Variety Trials (2020 – 2023), CDC Sunset yielded 104% in the brown soil zone and 103% in the dark brown soil zone compared to the historical check “Amit” (Table 1). Compared to the current check, CDC Lancer, CDC Sunset yielded 93% in the brown soil zone and 98% in the dark brown soil zone. Statistical analysis of 5 years of long-term Regional Variety Trial data ranked CDC Sunset 6th for yield in the brown soil zone and 5th in the dark brown soil zone among 10 historical and new kabuli and desi chickpea varieties (Figure 1).
CDC Sunset is rated “medium” for maturity. It matures 2 days earlier than CDC Cory and one day earlier than CDC Consul. In 4 years of regional variety trial data, CDC Sunset matured 1 day earlier than CDC Leader and 1 day later than CDC Lancer (Table 2). It has a larger seed than CDC Cory.
CDC Sunset has PBR’91 protection.
Strengths
- Herbicide tolerance (imazamox)
- Earlier maturity and taller than CDC Cory or CDC Consul
- Larger seed than CDC Cory
- Higher yield than CDC Consul in the dark brown soil zone
- Higher tolerance to Ascochyta blight vs. kabuli chickpea varieties
Weaknesses
- Lower yield than CDC Cory
- Lower tolerance to Ascochyta blight vs. CDC Consul
Table 1: Performance data of chickpea varieties from the Co-op and Regional Trials in Saskatchewan
| Variety | Herbicide Tolerance: SOLO® ADV (Imazamox) | Type | Yield (% CDC Lancer) | Height (cm) | Days to flower | Maturity Rating | Ascochyta Blight2 | Seed shape | Seed Coat Colour | Seed Weight (g/1000) | |
| Area 11 | Area 21 | ||||||||||
| CDC Lancer | YES | Kabuli | 100 | 100 | 40 | 52 | M | 4.4 | Ram-head | Beige | 353 |
| Amit | no | Kabuli | 89 | 95 | 46 | 56 | L | 4.4 | Round | Beige | 257 |
| CDC Frontier | no | Kabuli | 97 | 103 | 44 | 55 | L | 4.5 | Ram-head | Beige | 349 |
| CDC Leader | no | Kabuli | 94 | 89 | 41 | 53 | M | 4.6 | Ram-head | Beige | 385 |
| CDC Orion | no | Kabuli | 85 | 89 | 43 | 51 | L | 5.1 | Ram-head | Beige | 426 |
| CDC Orkney | YES | Kabuli | 99 | 103 | 43 | 53 | ML | 4.7 | Ram-head | Beige | 359 |
| CDC Palmer | no | Kabuli | 96 | 92 | 41 | 52 | ML | 4.9 | Ram-head | Beige | 413 |
| CDC Pasqua | YES | Kabuli | 86 | 92 | 42 | 52 | L | 4.6 | Ram-head | Beige | 417 |
| CDC Pearl | YES | Kabuli | 98 | 101 | 43 | 52 | ML | 4.4 | Ram-head | Beige | 291 |
| CDC Consul | no | Desi | 96 | 95 | 45 | 53 | M | 4.0 | Plump | Light tan | 299 |
| CDC Cory | YES | Desi | 99 | 101 | 46 | 56 | M | 4.3 | Angular/plump | Tan | 269 |
| CDC Kala | YES | Black desi | 89 | 87 | 40 | 52 | E | 4.3 | Angular | Black | 237 |
| CDC Sunset | YES | Desi | 93 | 98 | 43 | 53 | M | 4.3 | Angular/plump | Light tan | 285 |
Source: Varieties of Grain Crops (SaskSeed Guide)
1Area 1 = Brown soil zone; Area 2 = Dark brown soil zone
2Ascochyta Blight at pod filling period: 0-9 scale; 0 = no symptom; 9 = plants are completely blighted. Scores 4-6 are considered intermediate.
Table 2. Days to maturity compared to CDC Leader from 5 years of Regional Variety Trial data in SK (2019-2023)
| Variety | Type | Days to maturity | Maturity (+/- days vs. CDC Leader) |
| CDC Leader | Kabuli | 101 | 0 |
| CDC Lancer | Kabuli | 99 | -2 |
| CDC Orkney | Kabuli | 100 | 0 |
| CDC Pasqua | Kabuli | 101 | 0 |
| CDC Pearl | Kabuli | 100 | -1 |
| CDC Sunset | Desi | 100 | -1 |
| CDC Kala | Black desi | 98 | -3 |
Figure 1. Relative yield ranking of kabuli and desi chickpea varieties from 6 years of Regional Variety Trial data in Saskatchewan in the brown (left) and dark brown (right) soil zones. Ranking is from BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) statistical analysis.
