🫘 CDC Anna Chickpea

What it looks like

No verified photo of ‘CDC Anna’ itself was found, so the pictures below show the species — the same plant, photographed generally.

Why this variety

CDC Anna is the desi chickpea in a world that mostly talks about kabulis — and desi is the type that actually feeds most of the planet. The seeds are smaller, darker, and wrinkled rather than big, cream, and smooth, with a nuttier, earthier flavor that holds up in curries and roasted snacks where a kabuli would go soft. In trials, Anna matured a few days earlier than CDC Frontier, and desi types in general mature faster (90-105 days), tolerate higher temperatures, and resist Ascochyta better than kabulis.

That disease edge is exactly why Anna is the smarter Florida bet of the two CDC varieties. Chickpeas dislike humidity and wet foliage, and the species guide names Ascochyta blight as the main Southeast battle — a desi that resists it better and finishes earlier is playing the Florida game correctly. If you want chickpeas in a humid garden, Anna is where you start.

If you have not grown the species before, start with the Chickpea growing guide for the general picture, then come back here for what makes this variety different.

How to grow

Sow CDC Anna in the dry season in Florida — winter into spring — about an inch deep, 6 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart, in full sun. Wide spacing is airflow, and airflow is blight prevention. Desi plants are heavily branched with thick, erect stems, so they fill their space; do not crowd them hoping for more plants per foot, because crowded chickpeas in humidity are blight buffets.

Inoculate seed where chickpeas have never grown, work a little compost or castings in at planting, and skip heavy fertilizer. Use drip or base watering from day one. Desi types tolerate drought well thanks to deep taproots, but steady water at flowering and pod-fill still decides whether you get full pods or empty promises.

Water & feeding

About an inch a week, more during flowering and pod-fill, then reduce watering two weeks before harvest so pods dry cleanly. Base watering only if you can manage it; wet leaves invite blight even in a resistant variety. Mulch to hold moisture in sandy soil without wetting foliage.

Common problems

• Ascochyta blight in wet weather — Anna resists it better than kabulis, but rotation, wide spacing, and base watering still apply.
• Fusarium wilt — no cure; rotate for several years.
• Aphids and leafminers — row cover early and blast aphids with water.
• Poor pod set — heat, drought at flowering, or poor pollination; water steadily at bloom.

Harvest

For fresh green chickpeas, pick plump green pods at about 60-90 days. For dry chickpeas, wait until pods and plants are fully dry, about 95 days, pull plants, dry for a few more days, then shell. Dry seeds completely — rock-hard, no give under a fingernail — before sealing airtight. Desi seeds are smaller, so you need more plants per person than the kabuli math suggests, but their nutty flavor repays the effort in curries and roasted snacks.

Saving seeds

CDC Anna is a bred desi chickpea, so it comes true from seed — save seed from your best pods and let them dry fully before storing. The full method is in the Saving seeds section of the Chickpea guide.