Pulses

Pulses are a vital part of the Indian diet, especially for vegetarians, because they are rich in proteins. They belong to the legume family, which means they have the unique ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, naturally increasing soil fertility. India is the world’s leading producer of pulses.

Cultivation of pulses is largely concentrated in the drylands of the Deccan plateau, the central plateaus, and the northwestern parts of the country. Pulses occupy about 11 per cent of the total cropped area in India. Because they are rainfed crops grown in drylands, their yields are low and fluctuate significantly from year to year. The two main pulses cultivated in India are gram and tur (arhar).

Gram

Gram is cultivated in subtropical areas. It is mostly a rainfed crop grown during the rabi season in the central, western, and northwestern parts of the country. The crop requires only one or two light showers or irrigations to grow successfully.

Following the Green Revolution, gram was displaced from the cropping pattern by wheat in Haryana, Punjab, and northern Rajasthan. At present, gram covers only about 2.8 per cent of the total cropped area in the country. The main producing states are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan. Even in irrigated areas, the yield of gram remains low and fluctuates from year to year.

Tur (Arhar) …