Pulses are edible seeds of plants of the legume family. Pulses grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Pulses are annual crops that yield between 1-12 grains or seeds. The term pulses is limited to crops solely harvested as dry grains, which differentiate it from other vegetable crops that are harvested green.
Pulses are healthy, nutritious and easy to cook. Pulses also promote sustainable agriculture as pulse crops help decrease greenhouse gas emissions, increase soil health and use less water than other crops. Pulses also help in providing food and nutritional proteins into a diet, and play a key role in dietary diversification of rice based cropping systems, especially in India.
Pulses are traditionally grown in all parts of Odisha and are referred to as Dali Jaatiya Fasala as a group. Pulses are grown in all 3 seasons in Odisha under the following conditions
- Rainfed conditions in Kharif
- Residual moisture conditions in Rabi
- Irrigated conditions in summer.
Grown in all 30 districts of Odisha, pulses cover an area of 19.51 lakh ha with an annual production of 10.54 lakh tons and an average productivity of 540 kg/ha (2018-19). The average yield of pulses is much lower than the national average of 806 kg/ha, indicating that there is a requirement and scope for improvement in varietal suitability and adoption, with improved agronomic practices.
Analysis of pulse area and production in Odisha
Annual production and coverage of Pulses in Odisha
| Year | Area (lakh ha) | Production (lakh tons) | Yield (kg/ha) | National yield (kg/ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 19.87 | 9.98 | 502 | 786 |
| 2017-18 | 20.47 | 10.76 | 526 | 853 |
| 2018-19 | 19.51 | 10.54 | 540 | 757 |
| 2019-20 | 20.22 | 10.45 | 544 | 823 |
| India total 2019-20 | 279.8 | 230.2 | ||
| Odisha % 2019-20 | 7.23 | 4.54 |
Average seasonal pulse coverage and production in Odisha (2016-2020)
| Kharif | Rabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse area | 33% | 67% |
| Pulse production | 36% | 64% |
| Yield (kg/ha) | 576 | 528 |
There are 4 main pulses grown in the state
- Green gram (Mung bean, Vigna radiata)
- Black gram (Urd bean, Vigna mungo)
- Horse gram (Kulthi bean, Macrotyloma uniflorum)
- Pigeon pea (Urhar bean, Cajanus cajan)
Crop-wise production and productivity of different pulses of Odisha (2018-19) are
| Pulse | Area (lakh ha) | Production (lakh tons) | Yield in Odisha (kg/ha) | National yield (kg/ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green gram | 8.37 | 4.11 | 491 | 516 |
| Black gram | 4.89 | 2.38 | 456486 | 546 |
| Horse gram | 2.05 | 0.92 | 448 | 394 |
| Pigeon pea | 1.44 | 1.47 | 1022 | 729 |
| Bengal gram | 0.31 | 0.24 | 780 | 1041 |
| Cow pea | 0.65 | 0.48 | 743 | NA |
| Field pea | 0.32 | 0.24 | 768 | 1338 |
| Lentils | 0.10 | 0.05 | 528 | 901 |
| Others | 1.40 | 0.65 | 466 | NA |
| Total | 19.51 | 10.53 | 540 | 757 |
Constraints of existing production system
Physical constraints
- Nearly 94 per cent of pulse area is rainfed (33 % in kharif as rainfed and 61% in rabi under residual soil moisture)
- Grown in marginal and sub marginal land
- Suffer from moisture stress during rabi season due to low winter rainfall
- Plant growth is affected due to waterlogging in coastal tracts
- About 70% of cultivated area in the state is acidic, which reduces the yield
- A sizeable area in coastal districts is saline affected
- Canal irrigated lands are gradually becoming unsuitable for pulse cultivation
- Production base of pulses get shifted to extremely diverse and unproductive environmental conditions
- Rain at maturity for kharif, cold climate during winter sowing and heat stress at reproductive stage of summer crops (greengram and blackgram) cause low productivity
- Stray cattle menace restricts the horizontal expansion.
Technological constraints
- Lack of varieties resistant to various biotic and abiotic stresses in general such as YMV and cold
- Non- availability of suitable varieties with better yield advantage and desirable characteristics suitable for varied agro-climatic conditions and multiple adversities.
- Lack of varieties responsive to high impacts e.g., irrigation, fertilizers etc.
- Most of the improved varieties are lacking of preferred consumption quality as compared to the local varieties.
- Lack of commercial exploitation of hybrid vigour due to lack of mass pollen transfer mechanism and non-availability of effective male sterile system.
- Non adoption of improved production technology because of more instability and crop performance under adverse conditions.
Service constraints
- Wide gap between the requirement of certified/ quality seeds and its distribution and low SRR.
- No or very less use of Rhizobium inoculants because of no visible yield advantage. Hence strict quality control standards in the manufacturing and sale of inoculants are essential.
- Poor storability and lack of storage facility. Post harvest losses are to the extent of 23-30%
