GALILEO is a mid-season chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) variety distinguished by its high quality characteristics and large seed size. Plants of this variety are tall, with upright bushes ranging from 32 to 56 cm in height, featuring white flowers and beige-colored seeds that vary in shape from round to angular with moderate ribbing. The mass of 1000 seeds ranges from 300 to 420 g, which is significantly higher compared to some standard varieties. The natural seed mass is in the range of 835-852 g, with crude protein content reaching 23.1-26%, ensuring excellent culinary properties and high nutritional value of the product. The variety is characterized by a medium vegetative period of 78 to 97 days, with germination and flowering periods optimally distributed for obtaining a stable yield. GALILEO possesses high resistance to lodging and seed shattering, which facilitates mechanized harvesting and reduces losses during collection. Drought resistance of the variety is assessed as moderate, while resistance to diseases and pests is at a high level, with minimal infection by diseases such as rust, anthracnose, bacterial blight, and others. Leaves fall off at maturity, which additionally facilitates threshing. For successful cultivation of the variety, it is recommended to use winter crops as predecessors and ensure sufficient application of fertilizers, especially phosphorus (P2O5 in the amount of 45-60 kg f.u./ha) under plowing. Seeds before sowing are treated with nitrogin and micronutrients, while the sowing rate is 0.5-0.6 million viable seeds per hectare. Yield of the variety in various regions averages 0.76-1.76 t/ha, with maximum indicators reaching up to 22.7 c/ha. Thanks to its biological and economic properties, GALILEO is a valuable and in-demand chickpea variety suitable for a wide range of climatic conditions and modern cultivation technologies.
