Promote Pulse
Pulse-Income Support Crop For Poor Land & Community

Pulses are an essential source of protein in the diet of the predominantly vegetarian Indian population and the cultivation of these legumes has a long-standing tradition. According to the statistics of the Indian Department of Agriculture & Co-operation 23 million ha land area used for pulse production, which accounts for 35% of the world-wide pulse cultivation area. With an annual production of 12 to 14 million tones India ranks among the major pulse production countries even today. This is notable also that inspite of grave importance of pulses, attempt to increase area under pulses have not adequately been done.

Total production of pulses in India.

Year	Area(million ha)	Production(million tones)	Yield(Kg. per ha)
1960-61	23.56	12.70	539
1970-71	22.54	11.82	524
1980-81	22.46	10.63	473
1990-91	24.66	14.24	578
1992-93	22.36	12.82	573
1994-95	23.03	14.04	610
1996-97	22.45	17.24	635
1998-99	23.82	14.81	622

A simple example of pulse is here. The country has lost pulse production sharply because of increased irrigation as legumes are grown in un irrigated condition only. On one hand, where production of paddy and wheat have increased 12 and 7 million tons respectively. In this period the production of pulse has increased only 1.5 million tons only.


Pulses are important in any case. Their presence in diet is well known which unfortunately is lacking in rural India. As per International standard dietary requirement is 55 gm/person/day but this has stoop down to 30 gm/person/day. Earlier it was 67gm/per/day in India 4 decades ago. In rural India the pulse has been the major protein source which unfortunately has declined causing several abnormality in growth.

In mountain areas, pulses have more importance as they are rich in type, varieties and genetical make up. The varying ecological intricacies has bestowed mountain with different type of pulses. There are about 16 types of pulses with their innumerable number of varieties within. They are also different in taste due to soil-organo structure. The pulses of mountain has always been in high demand because of their unique taste. Since mountain agri-land cannot be placed as quality land a local traditional sculture of farming practiced since ages can only be the answer.

Contrary, poor agricultural productivity in mountain ascribed to poor land class, irrigation, manure scarcity and degenerating seed quality etc. Large cultivated areas have been replaced with wheat and paddy crops, used earlier for traditional crops including pulses. Recently introduction of off seasonal vegetable, could not help much due to poor market strategy and perishable nature of product. In H.P., a leading state in off-seasonal vegetable facing storage and transportation problems as two major limitations.

In mountain ecological agriculture can only play an important role which besides being ecologically matching should be long term paying also. Unfortunately we have not been able to deliver farmers community an appropriate ecologically sound agriculture package which can suit to total ecological and economical environment. This is irony that different agro climatic zones of the country bestowed with specific ecology was not honoured much for their respective farming. The Agri-commerce in its crusade has taken over all the zone with one or other crop types. The unnatural means of crop irrigation, land fertilization and unwise crop choice have certainly put irrationality in farming, turning Agri-commerce.

It is in this context it becomes very important to review our agriculture policy. We apart from agri-commerce must seriously think of agri products in relation to local climate condition. We should encourage local crop system which has been generated since ages. This is important to quote here that local agriculture produce has a strong bearing with local food habits and environment. What is the body requirement of community to temporate zone is different than tropical and it should correspond to the local agriculture produce. There are a few issues that we will have to be consider now

Local agri produce and local human needs
Traditional cropping pattern & agro-climates
Value addition in the light of new wisdom of S & T
New marketing strategy for surplus.

In mountain areas wheat & paddy has largely replaced local millets & cereals. This has not only affected adversely the economic production but local ecology has been undermined. Since mountains are fragile ecosystem their agriculture being the major human activity also deserve serious attention. We must specify the agri-pattern here in the light of prevalent local agro-climatic factors.

In context of mountain why pulse be encouraged, more, has a rationality. The agriculture land of mountain has been placed in 3rd and 4th category. This land type can produce only 1/3rd or 1/4th of the production of standard land type. Poor economic status of the rural community here cannot afford fertilizer. Scarce irrigation and erratic rains also lead poor agriculture environment somehow managed for better production, the transportation and storage become major limitation. Fleshy crops are to be sold in the dictated prices of market.

It is therefore, the agriculture should be reviewed particularly from local ecological and also from economic point of view. Infact mountain areas require a kind of agriculture which beside being ecologically sound also be health bearing. And one such is pulse. The following facts highlight the importance of pulse cultivation in mountain context:

Pulses are crops of stress environment
Pulse are grown in un irrigated/scarcely irrigated condition
It does not involve intensive cultivation practices
The fertilizer requirement is not intense as their roots enrich the soil
They are resistant to various pest and diseases by virtue of their genetic make up
Their non perishable nature provide them longevity for marketing as against perishable crops
Mountain has a close identity through pulses. Their taste, organic nature and flavor bestow them specific status in the market
The prices the pulses fetch is certainly higher than any other crop
Pulses also provide left over after harvest for various other domestic purposes
Being proteinaceous the pulse may serve nutritive diet for rural community which otherwise lack in their daily diet.

The above merits of pulse suits to the mountain environment. The pulses having rhizobium bacteria in the root add 50-135 kg. nitrogen/hac. Out of this about 70% is taken by the rest enrich the soil. The unirrigated waste land can be cropped with pulse. The good soil types can be obtained from pulse cultivation.

The economic output of pulse cultivation will certainly be higher than any other crop. For example wheat/paddy production per hac. comes about 20-22 quintal while pulse produce 8-12 quintal/hac which is higher economically. In Kharif we can take Urad, Tor, Kulath and Rajma while in Rabbi Chana, Matar, Musoor.

Besides the above agro-ecological facts about pulse, their identity is closely associated with mountain areas.These are highly respected in the market for their unique taste and flavor. While agriculture productivity in mountain is not very encouraging and ecologically unsound too, pulse can only provide a new dimension in the field of agriculture mountain.

What is immediately required to look into pulses promotion in the following lines

Altitudinal variation in mountain pulse.
Soil-environmental factors & pulses.
Pulses cycle for subtropical and temperate zone
Productivity studies
Value addition in pulses and leftover.
Traditional storage technology & their upgradations.


Modus Operandii

It is proposed to take three sites for the present proposal in Uttaranchal in the three altitudinal range

A. Tropical
B. Temperate
C. Cold temperate

A village will be selected in each site for research & demonstration of pulses with the objectives to ascertain different pulses round the year. It aims to produce organic based on locally available biomass compost. The economical and ecological productivity rate comparing with the cereal in different agro climate zone will be one of the objective. Present storage and preservation technologies and their upgradation will be another objective. Value addition of pulses for various product needs as per market will be followed as an additional input in the programme. The programme will be initiated in Uttaranchal and then will be replicated in other mountains states under the coordinated programmes.

Pulses for the stress environmental conditions can be placed as Income Support Crop for poors. It is mainly because it can serve poors from dietry point of view as well a crop for poor soil and poor community who cannot afford intensive agriculture produces like manure, irrigation, pesticides etc. This project initially should begin at the too high environmental stress areas i.e. Mountain & Rajasthan.