Chickpeas are known and loved by many as a nutrition-packed legume with plenty of diversity. They can be used as versatile ingredients, functioning well as either a featured side dish or a main entrée in meals. Chickpeas can also be used to elevate many dishes, and are often featured as a nutritious meat-alternative. They contain a great deal of fiber and protein, making them a healthy and filling part of any meal. Beyond their versatility, however, the chickpea makes an impact far before it makes its way into any side dish or meal − the legume is known to improve the soil it’s grown in, contributing to its enrichment for future crops.
Chickpeas are widely recognized as a superfood, with studies reflecting their ability to reduce risk factors for heart disease and cancer. They are nutrient-dense and filled with key vitamins to improve your overall health. Overall, chickpeas have tremendous health benefits and contribute to a healthy diet for many. Before they’re even harvested, however, the chickpea makes a large impact in the soil they are grown in.
Chickpeas and other legumes are able to thrive in the soil better than many other plant species. This is because of their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil they are planted in. They can absorb the nitrogen necessary in an efficient way, allowing them to store more carbon than most plants. This helps them continue to grow while using less nitrogen, leaving more of the element available for future plants to take advantage of, and contributing to, the biodiversity of the soil.
Nitrogen is critical to plant development, and plants require a certain amount of it to grow and thrive. Without nitrogen, their growth is significantly stunted and results in less flowering and opportunity for harvest. Understanding nitrogen as a limited resource in soil, it is critical to try to reduce the amount used by various plants to be able to use the soil long-term. The chickpea uses less of the available nitrogen for its own growth, leaving more for future plants. This makes the chickpea an ideal part of a crop rotation − they give the soil time to regenerate nutrients critical to future plant growth.
All in all, the chickpea is a sustainable crop that promotes healthy soil and healthier crops as a result. The legume’s ability to manage nitrogen usage helps to revitalize the soil they are grown in and prepare them for future crops. Additionally, planting chickpeas and other legumes in rotation for other crops disrupts pest lifecycles and reduces the impact of pests on crops overall.
Chickpeas offer a great deal of benefits across various areas, truly making them a superfood in many aspects. In addition to being a highly nutritious and delicious food, chickpeas are great for the health and enrichment of the soil they are grown in. They ensure future crops grow healthy and thrive, ensuring enough nitrogen is available for their development.
