Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is one of the major pulse crops grown in India. In Maharashtra, chickpea occupied the largest area under cultivation (1.93 million ha). The chickpea growers in western Maharashtra were selected to study the employment, income and expenditure pattern; the effects of improved production technology on costs and returns; the constraints in adoption of improved technologies; and the yield gap. The yield gap was more than 50%. The results show that farmers should adopt the improved technologies of chickpea to the fullest extent for maximizing returns and minimizing per unit cost.
