Arhar, also known as pigeon pea or red gram, is an important pulse crop in India. It is highly drought tolerant and contributes about 15% of total pulse production in India. The major producing states are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. Pigeon pea is grown both in kharif and rabi seasons. It is intercropped with crops like sorghum, maize, and groundnut. Pigeon pea provides food as well as fodder and helps control weeds when intercropped.

1. Presented By,
Rashmi Ranjan Moharana
B.Sc. (Ag.) 4th Yr.
Adm. No.- 21B/10.

2. •Common name – Arhar
•Scientific name – Cajanus cajan
•Family – Fabaceae
•Origin – Africa (Upper region of
river Nile)

3. INTRODUCTION
Also known as pigeon pea, red gram , tur .
Most drought tolerant crop among pulses .
Contributes about 15% in total pulses area
as well as production of India .
The second most important pulse crop of
India ( 1st – chickpea )

4. Utility Values of Arhar:
 Dry seed is dehulled & the split cotyledons (dal)
are cooked to make thick soup primarily for
mixing with rice (dal-rich source of protein).
 The ability of pigeon pea to produce economic
yields under soil moisture deficit makes it an
important crop of dry land agriculture.
 The husk of pods after threshing is also used as
cattle feed.

6. Botany :
 Deep rooted, Self pollinated
 Hypogeal germination
 C3 short day plant
 Hardy crop, most drought tolerant crop among
major pulses

7. Area and Distribution:
 In India 90% area & 85% production on global basis .
 Ranks 6th in area and production in comparison to other pulses.
India:-
Area-3.61 mha
Production-2.7mt
Productivity-747kgha
Area: Maharashtra > UP > Karnataka
Production: UP > Maharashtra > Gujrat
Productivity: Bihar > UP

8. Varieties
 Short duration ( 110 -125 days)
UPAS 120
Prabhat
ICPH 8 (1st hybrid by ICRISAT in 1991)
ICPL 870
 Medium duration ( 150 – 180 days )
Mukta , C -11 , BDNI-2
 Long duration – ( 180 – 300 days )
Pusa 9
 Odisha varities –
UPAS 120
ICPL 87

9. Criteria for selection of varieties:
 For kharif, early and extra-early varieties are avoided
because rain coincides with flowering and pod
formation. Also late maturing varities face terminal
stress. So medium are ideal.
E.g; ICPL 332 (Abhaya), ICPL 8719 (Asha), Maruti
(LRG-41)
 For Rabi, early maturing varieties are chosen. E.g;
ICPL-87 (Pragati).

10. Soil & Land preparation :
 at least one ploughing during the dry season followed
by 2 or 3 harrowings.
 Summer ploughing
 - to control weeds
 - to control soil moisture
 Well-drained soils for good root and
nodule development.
 Contour beds or a ridge-and-furrow systems prevent
water logging due to draining excess surface water,
also soil erosion.
 It can be grown on a wide range from Sandy
loams to clay loams.
 Avoid Saline, Alkaline and water logged

11. Climate :
Temperature :
•26° to 30°C in the rainy season (June to October)
•17° to 22°C in the post rainy (November to March)
season.
 It tolerates heat and drought.
 It prefers moist and warm climate during
vegetative period and cool and dry period during
reproductive stage.
 It is susceptible to frost.

12. Seeds and sowing:
 Seed Rate: 1) Kharif: 12- 15 Kgs/ ha.
2) Rabi: 45 Kgs/ha.
 Spacing: 1)Short duration-60x10 cm
2) Medium & Long duration -75x20 cm.
 Plant population : 1) Kharif: 55,000 plants/ha.
2) Rabi: 3.33 lakh plants/ ha.
 Sowing time: 1st fortnight of June.
Kharif- June to July, Rabi- Sept. to Oct.
 Early sowings are always better.
 Harvesting index: 19% (Lowest in among pulses)

13. Nutrient
management:-
 RDF = 20 – 50 – 20 kg/ha
NPK
 Zinc Sulphate : 5 kg/ ha
 Manures: 5 tons/ha of FYM
Bio-fertilizers:
 For early and effective
nodulation, seed
treatment with
Rhizobium.

14. Irrigation:-
 Pigeonpea is largely grown as a rainfed crop.
 The critical periods for Irrigation are
-flower-initiation
-pod-filling stages.
 Redgram grown in Kharif does not require any
irrigation.
Weed management
Pigeonpea is a slow -growing crop during the first 6-8
weeks, and 2 harrowings during this period would be
adequate to check weed growth.
Herbicides recommended :-
pre -emergence application of Alachlor (Lasso) @ 1.5 kg
a.i/ha, Fluchloralin (Basalin) @ 1.5kg a.i/ha.

15. Harvesting & Threshing:-
 harvested when 75 - 80 % of the pods are at physiological
maturity.
 The whole plants are cut when most of the pods are
dried. Plants are usually cut 7.5 – 25 cm above ground.
 Delayed harvesting, during bad weather, may increase
the risk of damage to mature seed.
 The harvested plants are tied in bundles and transported
to a threshing floor. These are stacked in upright bundles
to dry. The pods and grain are separated by beating the
dry plants with sticks or by using a thresher .

16. Yield:-
 For irrigated – 15-18 qt/ha
 Rainfed – 10-15 q/ha
 Inter/Mixed cropping- 5 - 6 q/ha
 Stick – 50 – 60 q /ha
IMPORTANT POINTS:
 Protein content : 25 %
Highest productivity: Bihar (1115 Kg/ha.)
Harvesting index : 19% ( Lowest among in all
pulses )

17. Disease –
Wilt , stem rot , Cankers , sterility mosaic
Insect and pest –
Pod borer , plume moth , hairy caterpillar , leaf
hopper , bean fly .
Fusarium wilt
Pod borer

18. Cropping system:-
In India, it was estimated that 80 % - 90 % of the pigeonpea
were intercropped.
Intercropping:-
 Sorghum + pigeon pea
 Maize + pigeon pea
 Pigeonpea + groundnut
Sequential cropping:
 Pigeonpea – Wheat/mustard – greengram
 Pigeonpea + greengram – wheat/mustard
 Maize – pigeonpea
Advantages of intercrops:
 Greater yield when other crop fails
 Intercropping may reduce the incidence of weeds.