PIGEON PEA (TUR/ ARHAR)

It is a popular pulse crop and it is rich source of Protein. It is cultivated in Tropical and Semitropical 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, Gujrat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are major Pigeon pea producing states in India.
In UP near about 3.8 lakh ha area is under pigeon pea cultivation with production of 3.62 lakh tones.
 

It grow 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. It can grow successfully on soils having pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.5.

Early Maturing Variety

Paras (H 82 1): It is suitable to grow in western areas of UP. Semi spreading, early maturing variety. Ready to harvest in 135-140 days. Gives average yield of 7-8 qtl/acre.

UPAS-120: It is suitable for whole UP. Ready to harvest in 130-140 days. These are medium tall and semi spreading varieties. Seeds are small and light brown color. The average yield is 6 quintals per acre. It is susceptible to sterility mosaic disease.

Pusa 992: It is suitable for whole UP. Ready to harvest in 130-140 days. Gives average yield of 7-8 qtl/acre.

T 21: It is suitable to grow in whole UP. Ready to harvest in 160 days. Gives average yield of 7-8 qtl/acre.

Type 17: Suitable for plain areas of UP. Late maturing variety. Grains are medium size. Moderately resistant to wilt. Gives average yield of 6 to 8 qtl/acre.

Type 7: Late maturing variety. It is suitable for plains of UP. Gives average yield of 6-8 qtl/acre.

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

Bahar: It is suitable for whole UP. Gives average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

Amar: It is suitable for whole UP. Gives average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

Narendra Arhar 1: It is suitable for whole UP. Gives average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

Azad: It is suitable to grow in whole UP. Gives average yield of 10-12qtl/acre.

Pusa 9: It is suitable to grow in whole UP. It is suitable for cultivation in September month. Gives average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

PDA 11: Gives average yield of 7-8 qtl/acre.

MA 6: Gives average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

MAL 13: Gives average yield of 12-13 qtl/acre.

Narendra Arhar 2: Gives average yield of 12-13 qtl/acre.

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 1 to 1.3 ton/acre.

Pusa Ageti: Dwarf bold seeded variety, ready to harvest in 150 to 160 days. It gives average yield of 1 ton/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
Timely sowing of crop is important as delay in sowing leads to yield loss. Optimum time for late sowing variety is in month of July. Whereas for early sowing varieties, complete sowing in middle of June month.  

Spacing
It varies with varieties used. For T20 variety use spacing of 60 cm x 20 cm. For UPAS 120 spacing of 50 cm x 12 cm is used and 60 cm x 20 cm spacing is used for Narendra-1, Amar, Bahar, Narendra arhar 2 and Pusa 9. For Azad and Malviya Vikas spacing of 90 cm x 30 cm is used.

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:
For good yield use seed rate of 6-8 kg per acre. For T 21 variety seed rate of 5-6 kg is required where as for ICPL 151 variety seed rate of 8-10 qtl/acre is required.

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 from below:

Take one hoeing, about three weeks after sowing. And another hoeing about six week after sowing. Apply Pendimethalin@ 1 Ltr/acre in 150-200 ltr of water as pre-emergence herbicide within 2 days after sowing, followed by hand weeding six to seven weeks after sowing.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Apply Nitrogen@4-6 kg/acre in form of Urea@10-13 kg/acre and Phosphorus@16-18 kg/acre in form of SSP@100 kg-115 kg /acre and Sulphur@8 kg/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 depend 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.

• 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 100-125litres of water per acre. Take spray in evening hours and if necessary repeat the spray after 10days.

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: Grayish 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. Intially affected plant show dropping of patioles 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 200kg 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.