It is a popular pulse crop and it is rich source of Protein. It is cultivated in Tropical and Semitropical regions. It is importantlegumes crop of rainfed and semi-arid tropics and it can grow as single crop or intermixed with cereals. It enriches soil through symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

Maharashtra is major Pigeon pea producing state (contribute 35% of total production) of India. Near about 1.12 million hectares area is under tur cultivation with production of 0.82million ton. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are other major Pigeon pea producing states in India.

It can be cultivated on variety of soil. It gives best result on fertile and well drained loamy soils. The saline-alkaline or waterlogged soils are unfit for its cultivation. For good growth it required soil pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.5.

BDN 2: Ready to harvest in 150-165days. White color seeds and suitable for grain purpose. Gives an average yield of 6.7-7.5qtl/acre.

BDN 708: Red color seeds. Suitable for sowing under low rainfall region. Resistant to wilt disease.

BSMR 736: Red color seeds. Resistant to wilt disease.

Asha: Bold seeded variety, ready to harvest in 160-170days. Resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 6.5-7qtl/acre.

AKT 8811: Ready to harvest in 145-150days. Gives average yield of 5-5.6qtl/acre.

BSMR 853: Also known as Vaishali. White color seeds. Ready to harvest in 165-170days. It is resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 6.15-6.8 qtl/acre.

Vipula: Ready to harvest in 145-160days. Moderate resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 8qtl/acre.

Rajeshwari: Red color grain variety. Ready to harvest in 130-140days. Gives average yield of 11.6qtl – 12.5qtl/acre.

PKV Tara: Ready to harvest in 170-180days. Red color variety. Gives average yield of 7.9-8.3qtl/acre.

BDN 711: Ready to harvest in 150-160days. It is moderate resistant to wilt disease.

BSMR 736: Brown seeded variety, ready to harvest in 180-185days. Resistant to wilt disease. Gives average yield of 4.8-7.3qtl/acre.

Other state varieties:

Pusa 855: Ready to harvest in 145-150days. Gives average yield of 9-10qtl/acre.  

Late Maturing Variety

PDA 11: Ready to harvest in 225 to 240days. Gives average yield of 7-8qtl/acre.

MA 6: Ready to harvest in 250 to 270days. Gives average yield of 10-12qtl/acre.

MAL 13: Ready to harvest in 230 to 250days. Gives average yield of 12-13qtl/acre.

Narendra Arhar 2: Ready to harvest in 240 to 245days. Gives average yield of 12-13qtl/acre.

PAU 881: It is early maturing variety. It matures in 132days. Plants are 2m tall. Each pod contains about 3-5 yellow brown and medium size seeds. It gives average yield of 5.6qtl/acre. 

Manak (H 77-216): Early maturing, medium heighted variety. Ready to harvest in 125-130days. Gives average yield of 7-8qtl/acre.

ICPL 151 (Jagriti): Ready to harvest in 120-130days. It gives average yield of 1 to 1.3ton/acre.

Pusa Ageti: Dwarf bold seeded variety, ready to harvest in 150 to 160days. It gives average yield of 1ton/acre.

Pusa 84: Medium tall, semi spreading variety, ready to harvest in 140 to 150days.  

IPA 203 and IPH 09-5 (Hybrid)

R 175: White seeded variety, ready to harvest in 160-170days. It is resistant to Mosaic and wilt disease. Gives average yield of 4.4 to 4.8qtl/acre.

Jawahar (KM 7): Dark brown color seeds, ready to harvest in 170-180days. Variety is tolerant to wilt and blight disease. Gives average yield of 7-8qtl/acre.

Malviy Vikalp: Ready to harvest in 160-172days. It is resistant to pod fly. Gives average yield of 8-9qtl/acre.

Amol: Ready to harvest in 160-165days. Resistant to wilt and mosaic disease. Gives average yield of 6qtl/acre.

It is mostly taken as intercrop in other crops. If it is to be taken as single crop, Plough land for two to three times and bring soil to fine tilth. Then planking should be followed by each ploughing. It cannot withstand in waterlogging conditions, prepared field in such a way that water stagnation should not take place. At time of last ploughing, apply well decomposed cowdung@8-10 carts load. 

It is taken as intercrop in sunflower, soybean, green gram, black gram, Jowar and cotton crop. For intercrop, select medium duration variety of Tur. For soybean, take three to four rows of soybean and one ratio of Tur.

Time of sowing

Optimum time for Arhar sowing is June-July or with onset of monsoon. Avoid delay in sowing as it affects yield.

Spacing

For early duration variety, use spacing of 45cmx10cm. For medium duration variety, 45cmx20cm spacing is suitable. Whereas, for long duration use spacing of 60cmx25cm or 75cmx20cm. 

Sowing Depth

Seed are sown with help of seed drill at depth of about 7-10cm.

Method of sowing

Seeds can be sown with help of seed drill or by plough in furrow is more efficient way of sowing for good yield.

Seed Rate

For early maturing variety, use seed rate of 8-10kg for one acre land. For medium duration variety, seed rate of 6-8kg/acre. For late variety, use seed rate 4.1-5kg/acre.

Seed Treatment

Select healthy and bold seeds for sowing. Treat seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram@2gm per Kg of seeds. After chemical treatment, treat seed with Trichoderma viride@4gm/kg of seeds or Pseudomonas Fluorescens@10gm/Kg of seeds.

Use any one fungicides from below:

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Always apply fertilizer based on soil test results. In general, apply Nitrogen@8-10kg/acre in the form of Urea@18-25kg/acre and Phosphorus@16-20kg/acre in the form of SSP@100kg-125kg /acre along with Sulphur@8kg/acre. Drill all fertilizer in soil at time of sowing. Avoid direct contact of seeds and fertilizer. 

As it is rainfed crop, it does not required irrigation. Research findings shows that irrigation at bud formation and pod development stage increased yield by 55%.

Budding, flowering and pod formation stages are critical for irrigation.

Flower initiation and pod setting stages are the most crucial to drought stress. Therefore, irrigation at these stages is essential for good yield. Avoid excessive irrigation as it leads to more vegetative growth and incidence of Phytophthora and Alternaria blight.

Take one hoeing, about three weeks after sowing. And another hoeing about six week after sowing. Apply Pendimethalin@ 0.5kg/acre as pre-emergence herbicide within 2days after sowing, followed by hand weeding six to seven weeks after sowing.

• Pests and their control:

Blister beetles: Also known as flower beetles, they feed on flower and thus reduces pod numbers. Adults are black beetles with bright red coloration on the forewings.

To control it, spraying Deltamethrin 2.8EC @ 200ml or Indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 200ml per acre using 100-125 litres of water per acre. Take spray in evening hours and if necessary repeat the spray after 10 days.

Pod Borer: This is the most serious pest and causes damage up to 75% reduction in yield. It feed on leaves causes skeletonization of leaves also feeds on flower and green pods. On pods they make circular holes and feed on grains.

Install Pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera @ 12/ha. In case of low infestation, handpicked grown up larvae. At early stage use HNPV or Neem extract @ 50gm/Litre of water. Use of chemicals are necessary after ETL level. (ETL: 2 early instar larvae/plant or 5-8 eggs/plant).

If incidence is observed, spray crop with Indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 200ml or Spinosad 45SC @ 60ml/100-125litres of water per acre using manually operated knapsack sprayer. Take spray in evening hour.

• Diseases and their control:

Cercospora leaf spot: Greyish brown to dark spots are observed under surface of leaves. In severe condition spots are observed on petioles and stems along with leaf drop.

To control this disease, use disease free seeds and before sowing treat seeds with Captan or Thiram@3gm per kg seed.

Wilt: This disease causes considerable loss in yield. It can affect at the seedling stage as well as in an advanced stage of plant growth. Initially affected plant show dropping of petioles and gives dull green color. Afterwards all leaves turn yellow and become straw colored.

Grow resistant varieties. In primary stage of wilt, to control mix 1 kg of Trichoderma in 200 kg well decomposed cow dung and keep it for 3 days, then apply it in wilt affected area. If wilt is observed in fields, spray 300 ml Propiconazol with 200 Litre of water per acre.

Cankers: It causes due to various fungus. Cankers are developed on stem and twigs. It causes breaking of plants at affected place.

Follow suitable crop rotation. In severe conditions, spray crop with Mancozeb 75WP @ 2gm per Litre of water.

Sterility Mosaic: It is caused due to eriophyid mite. Due to infection of this disease, either no flowering or little flowering is observed. Leaves are of pale color. Plant gives bushy appearance.

Grow resistant variety. For mite control Spray Fenazaquin 10% EC @ 300 ml/acre with 200 Ltr water.

Phytophthora stem blight: If it occurred at seedling stage, young seedling dies after emergence. Brown or black necrotic lesions are observed on stem. On leaflet, circular or irregular lesions are form and whole foliage becomes blighted.

If Infestation Phytophthora blight observed, to control spray with Metalaxyl 8%+Mancozeb 64% @ 2gm/Ltr of water.

For vegetable purpose harvest plant when leaves and pods are of green color. For grain purpose, when 75-80% pods turn brown and dry, it is right time of harvesting. Delay in harvesting result in damage of seeds. Harvesting can be done manually by cutting stem or by Machine. After harvesting keep bundles of plant upright for drying purpose. Grains are removed from plant by threshing or by traditionally i.e beating plants with sticks.

Grains of harvested crop must be well dried before storage. And take care to avoid the pulse beetle infestation in storage.