It is a popular pulse crop and it is rich source of Protein. It is cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is important legumes 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. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are major Pigeon pea producing states in India.

SD: The variety matures in 130-160 days. It is early maturing variety.

Pusa Ageti: The variety is resistant to wilt. The variety is suitable for mixed farming. It has dwarf plants.

MD: The variety matures in 160-210 days. It is a medium maturing variety.

LD: The variety matures in more than 210 days. This is a late maturing variety.

Other state varieties:

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

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

ICPL 151 (Jagriti): Ready to harvest in 120-130 days. It gives average yield of 4-5qtl/acre.

Pusa Ageti: Dwarf bold seeded variety, ready to harvest in 150 to 160 days. It gives average yield of 5qtl/acre.

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

IPA 203 and IPH 09-5 (Hybrid)

 

Prepared land by taking one deep ploughing followed by two or three times harrowing. Planking should be followed each ploughing. It cannot withstand in waterlogging conditions, prepared field in such a way that water stagnation should not take place.

Crop Rotation: Follow crop rotation of arhar with Wheat or Barley or Sufed Senji or Sugarcane.
 

Time of sowing
in irrigated areas, sowing of early varieties should be done in first week of June and in rainfed areas, sowing of early, medium and late varieties should be done in last week of June to first week of July. Use plant to plant spacing of 15-20cm.
   
Spacing
Use line to line spacing of 45-60cm for early maturing varieties and 60-75cm for medium and late maturing varieties.  

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

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:
Use seed rate of 5-6kg/acre.

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

Use any one fungicides/insecticide from below:

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Apply Nitrogen@3-5 kg/acre in form of Urea@8-12, Phosphorus@4-5 kg/acre in form of SSP@25-35 and potash@7-9kg/acre in the form of MOP@12-15kg per acre. Drill all fertilizer in soil at time of sowing. Avoid direct contact of seeds and fertilizer. Apply fertilizer based on soil testing results. Also, Potash should be apply when soil testing show deficiency of it.

Three to four week after sowing apply first irrigation. Remaining irrigations are depending upon rainfall intensity. 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.

After sowing between 30-60 days weed control is necessary. For weed control, use Fluchloralin@400gm/acre in 100-150ltr water before sowing and alachlor@400gm/acre or pendimethalin@800ml/acre immediately after sowing.

• Pest 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.

• Disease 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.