In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Origin and Distribution of Pulses 2. Area and Production of Pulses 3. Constraints in Pulses Production.
Origin and Distribution of Pulses:
Grain legumes, excepting Phaseolus vulgaris, have remained largely confined to where they probably originated (Table 8.3).
Legumes are a very large group of plants, second only to cereals, as a source of food for humans and his animals. Pulses are being cultivated for centuries in Asia, Middle East and Africa, where agriculture in still not very sophisticated. These crops are grown on marginal lands under soil moisture and fertility stress.
Domestication of pulses in the Old Word goes back to Neolithic times and was approximately contemporary to that of the cereals. Pulses also appeared long ago in the dry regions of the New World. Remains of kidney beans have been found in caves of Ocampo in Mexico by about 1000 years preceding maize.
Majority of pulses are well adapted to tropical and temperate regions. Pulses grown in dry regions can be grouped according to their temperature requirements into kharif and rabi pulses. In India, bengalgram, peas, lentils and beans (rajmash) requiring relatively low temperature are grown during rabi and others largely confident to kharif as rainfed crops. However, kharif pulse crops can also be grown during postrainy season on stored soil moisture or as irrigated crops during rabi and summer seasons.
Grain legumes are cultivated in diverse situation. They can be grown between 60°N and 50°S latitude in low to high altitude. They can tolerate temperature range of 2° to 45° C.
Area and Production of Pulses:
On global basis, pulses are grown in around 72 M ha with a production of 61 M t and average yield around 850 kg ha-1. India accounts for 33 per cent of the global area (22.5 M ha) and 25 per cent of the production (13.4 M t).
At global level, India’s rank in average productivity (around 600 kg ha-1) is 118 as shown in Table 8.4. Besides India, China and Russia are the major pulse growing countries. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand also contribute considerably to world pulses production.
India produces a variety of pulses including chickpea (40%), pigeonpea (18%), greengram (11%), blackgram (9%), lentil (8%) fieldpea (5%) and others to the tune of 13-15 M t annually from an area of 22-23 M ha with an average yield around 600 kg ha-1. In India, area under pulses increased from 19.1 M ha in 1950 to 22.5 M ha in 2005-06 and production from 8.4 to 13.1 M t.
Productivity also considerably increased from 440 kg ha-1 in 1950 to 600 kg ha-1 in 2005-06 as indicated in Table 8.5. However, the per capita availability of pulses decreased from 69 g in 1961 to 37 g in 2005 as against recommended allowance of 50 g per caput per day, due to population explosion.
Major pulse producing states are MP (23%), UP (18%), Maharashtra (14%), Rajasthan (11%), AP (9%) and Karnataka (6%), which together account for 74 per cent of the production and 70 per cent of the area. Five states: MP, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra and AP together contribute to 86 per cent of the chickpea production. Second most important pulse crop of India is pigeonpea with production base concentrating in Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP, UP and MP.
Domestic pulses production after its peak of 14.91 M t in 2003-04 had declined to 13.38 M t in 2004-05 and to 13.11 M t in 2005-06. Production for the year 2006-07 has been ambiguously estimated at 14.23 M t. This still falls short of domestic requirement of 17 M t. The country is importing around 1.7 M t annually to contain the soaring prices for the last three years. Future demand for pulses in India has been estimated at 23.3 M t by 2012 and 27.0 M t by 2015.
The extra demand of pulses (around 7 M t) by 2012 (terminal year of XI Plan) has to be met from expanding area under pulses and by improving the productivity around 850 kg ha-1. To make the nation pulses self-sufficient and stop upward trend in import of pulses, as in the case of last three years, productivity level has to be increased to 850 kg ha-1 and an additional area around 2.5 M ha has to be brought under pulses cultivation. In other words, an annual growth rate of 4.2 per cent is necessary to meet the pulse needs by 2012.
Great disparity in productivity levels of pulses among major pulse producing slates (Table 8.6) clearly demonstrate the scope for improving the productivity levels considerably.
Stagnant production of pulses in the past decade demands technological breakthrough for improving productivity to balance the demand-supply of pulses in the country. Results of experiments clearly demonstrated the scope for increasing the productivity of pulses with improved package of practices (Table 8.7).
In view of shortage pulses production, efforts were directed in major pulse crops under All India Coordinated Pulses Imprudent Program (AICPIP) which was further intensified with the establishment of Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR) at Kanpur in 1993. To consolidate the research efforts and development work, pulses were brought under Technology Mission in 1990.
Two special schemes, National Pulse Development Programme (NPDP) and Special Pulse Development Programme (SPDP) were taken up for implementation. Serious efforts are being made to develop high yielding varieties both for irrigated and dryland conditions besides formulating improved production technology and timely input accessibility to farmers.
Constraints in Pulses Production:
National average productivity of pulses (1990-02) is less than half of that realised in research farms (Table 8.8) and about one-third of that obtained in Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) indicating scope for further improvement in national average productivity.
Low productivity of pulses is due to ecological factors, lack of appropriate production and postproduction technology, socioeconomic problems and non-availability of quality seed in time.
Ecological Factors:
More than 90 per cent of area under pulse crops is rainfed, which is subjected to soil moisture stress due to rainfall vagaries. Weed infestation and pests and diseases cause severe damage. Pulses are sensitive to excess soil moisture (waterlogging), salinity, alkalinity and acidity. Indeterminate pulse crops, generally, face terminal soil moisture stress leading to poor yields.
Lack of Implementable Technology:
Pulses have been grown for long time with poor management practices and improved varieties could not increase the productivity as in the case of cereals. Harvest index of pulses is very low between 0.1 and 0.2 as against around 0.5 in wheat and rice.
Pulses are energy rich crops and need more energy input compared to cereals (1.0 g glucose produce 0.4 g proteins as against 0.83 g starch). Non availability of improved Rhizobium culture and quality seed in time further limit pulses productivity. Timely weed, pests and diseases control are not practiced for the crops on marginal lands.
Socioeconomic Constraints:
Pulses are, generally, crops of resource poor farmers as mixed, inter and relay crops or grown in rotation with commercial or high yielding cereal crops. Management in a system is aimed at the productivity of more remunerative commercial or cereal crops but not on pulses. Unremunerative prices act as disincentive to adopt recommended package.
Constraints In Postproduction Technology:
Kharif pulse crops are, generally, sown in June-July, which comes to maturity during peak period of monsoon. Mature seed germinate on the plant due to continuous rains, thus making harvesting and drying a difficult task.
Indeterminate growth habit of several pulses further complicate harvesting and drying. Pulses seeds are badly damaged during storage. Dehusking of pulse seeds require bright sunshine. Dehulling and splitting the cotyledons and polishing is a laborious time consuming process.