Challenges facing by the farmers in pulses production and productivity ?

1. SUBMITTED TO:
Dr. Vikram Singh
Associate Professor
Department of Agronomy
NAI,SHUATS
SUBMITTED BY:
Suman Kumar Dey
Id. No: 19MSAGRO070
M.Sc. Ag.(Agronomy)
II semester

2. Content
Introduction
Reference
Challenges facing by the farmers in enhancing pulses productivity and production

3. Introduction
Pulses are important source of dietary protein for majority of population of Indian SubContinent. This sub-region covers
seven countries, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
world accounting for about 29 per cent of the world area and 19
per cent of the world’s production. Even more importantly India
is also the largest importer and processor of pulses in the world.
Ironically, the country’s pulse production has been hovering
around 14– 15 MT.
Major areas under pulses are in the States of Madhya Pradesh (20.3%), Maharashtra (13.8%), Rajasthan (16.4), Uttar
Pradesh (9.5%), Karnataka (9.3%), Andhra Pradesh (7.9%), Chhattisgarh (3.8%), Bihar (2.6%) and Tamil Nadu .
Nutritive value of Pulse Constituents Magnitudes Protein >20-% Carbohydrate 55 – 60% Fat >1.0% Fibre 3.2% Phosphorus
300-500 mg/100 g Iron 7-10mg/100 g Vitamin C 10-15 mg/100 g Calcium 69 -75mg/100g Calorific value 343 Vitamin A
430-489 (2.9%).

4. Challenges facing by the farmers in enhancing pulses productivity
and production
The major challenges facing by the farmers in enhancing production and productivity of pulse crops are: (i) agro-ecological
constraints, (ii) biological/genetic constraints, (iii) biotic stresses (iv) inadequate seed availability and poor input use, (v) socio-
economic constraints & (vi) soil texture and its impact.
i) Agro-ecological constraints :The pulse crops are generally cultivated in rainfed
areas, characterized by poor soil fertility and low moisture retention capacity. As a
result, crop often faces moisture stress at various growth stages.
The rainfall is not only low but also highly erratic and uncertain in rainfed areas.
Degraded soil conditions like salinity and alkalinity limit the expansion of area under
pulses.
Among the major abiotic stresses affecting pulse production are: drought, low and
high temperatures, fog, salinity, and alkality and deficiency of micronutrients
such as Zn, Fe, Mg etc.
Light stress
Temperature
stress
Drought
stress
Salinity
stress
Cold stress
Mechanica
l
damage
Air
pollution
Environmental stress hampers the growth of pulses by disturbing normal physiology and morphology. Pulses become more
prone to oxidative damage by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

5. Cont…
***very important, **important, *not important
Importance of major abiotic stresses affecting pulse crops
Warm season pulses Cool season pulses
Stress
Daught
Waterlogging
Heat
Cold
Salinity/ Alkalinity
AI toxicity
Pigeon pea Urd bean Mung bean
** * **
*** *** ***
* *** **
*** ** **
** * *
** ** **
Chickpea Lentil
*** ***
* *
*** ***
** *
** **
** **
***very important, **important, *not important
Mg
deficiency
Fe
deficiency
Zn
deficiency
Drought
stress
Water
logging

6. Cont…
(ii) Biological/genetic constraints : The evolution and adaptation of pulses in harsh growing conditions is likely to have
eroded the genes responsible for higher productivity and input responsiveness. These crops do not appear to respond well
to irrigation in all growing areas. Higher doses of essential inputs may even show adverse effects like excessive
vegetative growth resulting in lodging and thereby reduced yields. Nevertheless, some good examples in grain
legumes like improved soybean varieties and dwarf pea varieties indicate that altered genotypes/varieties of pulse crops
can be tailored for high responsive to external Inputs.
(iii) Biotic stresses : Pulses are prone to high incidence of diseases and insect pests .Among diseases, Fusarium wilt, root
rots, Ascochyta blight and botrytis gray mould are most important in chickpea. The most dreaded insect pest in
chickpea and pigeonpea is pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) . The losses may be as high as complete destruction of the
crop in certain areas in seasons which are favourable for the disease/pest.
Although integrated pest management modules for major diseases and pests have been developed, yet these are seldom
practiced by the farmers. Similarly, the chemical or bio-control practices for major diseases and insect pests have been
evolved but are not followed by the farmers due to a number of reasons which may include non availability of bio-agents,
bio-pesticides, quality insecticides, equipment for spraying and dusting of chemicals, etc. The root knot and cyst
nematodes also pose serious threat to pulse crop cultivation under sandy loam soil/light soils.
In peas and lentil rust and powdering mildew cause serious damage. Resistance genes to all these disease are available
and many varieties have been developed in these crops. However, these varieties are very well adopted by farmers in all
growing regions.

7. Cont…
Major diseases and insect pests of pulse crops

8. Cont…
StuntBotrytis gray mouldAscochyta blightDry root rot
Root knot nematodTermits AphidGram semilooperCutworm Gram pod borer
Major diseases and insect pests of pulse crops

9. Cont…
(iv) Inadequate seed availability and poor input use : Non-availability of quality seeds is the single most important
constraints limiting pulses production. High seed rate requires organized production of quality seed in state led
production chain or by the private sector. Seeds of newly developed varieties are either not available to the farmers
at all or these are not available in required quantities. The seed replacement rate is hardly about 4 to 6 per cent as
compared to cereals in which a higher seed replacement rate have been achieved.
The high cost of seed because of high seed rate is another constraint for marginal and poor farmers. Further, the use of
critical input such as fertilizer, irrigation, and insecticides/ pesticides for the control of biotic stresses is quite low in case
of pulse crops resulting in low productivity. In deficient soils,the application of micronutrients has also been found
to be remunerative, yet the farmers hardly use these inputs.
(v) Socio-economic constraints : Pulses occupy low priority in the farming systems probably due to facts such as: (a)
cereals are the staple food, (b) pulses are not important as cash crop, (c) there is higher risk and hence low stability of
pulse production, (d) pulses suffer from higher losses in storage, (e) there is a highly fluctuating market for pulses (f)
pulse crops are less responsive to inputs or even irrigation..
(vi) Soil texture and its impact : The other major challenge that comes to the fore is that of the soil texture, structure and
fertility. Many pulse crops are grown in low quality soils in terms of fertility, moisture content, nitrogen content and
nutrition and under unpredictable weather and rainfall conditions.

10. Cont…
(vii) Input quality and availability related constraints : Timely availability of quality chemical fertilizers continues to
be a problem in many pulses growing area. Inadequate availability of gypsum or pyrites as a cheap source of sulphur
remains a serious impediment in many states/regions .Nutrient requirement of legumes are much lower than cereals
mainly because of biological nitrogen fixation and relatively low productivity levels although legumes crops respond
favourably to higher doses of fertilizer nutrients than generally applied or even recommended. Availability of pesticides
(including herbicides) in most of the states has been comfortable but their quality in terms of effectiveness and
eco-friendliness has been an issue in spite of a well-designed regulatory mechanism put in place.
.
(viii) Varietal constraints : Lack of high yielding varieties, low harvest index, intermediate growth habits, poor response
to inputs and Instabilities in performances are the few of the varietal constraints needs immediate attention.

11. Reference
Aryanayagam, R.P. and Singh P. Plant Breeding Abstract – Accomplishment and Challenges in Pigeon Pea breeding,2004.
UK. 64(6): 773-782
Singh M. A study on the current status and the challenges ahead for pulses cultivation in Maharastra, 2015. International
Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 6(12): 2229-5518
Singh N. B. & Kochhar S. Challenges for increasing area, production and productivity of pulses in the Indian sub-continent,
2017. Proceeding of The Fourth International Food Legumes Research Conference (IFLRC-IV), 18-22.

12. Thank You