Pigeonpea (Arhar / Tur) – Cajanus cajan

Global & National Significance

• Origin: Africa (secondary center: India)
• India’s Contribution: Largest producer (≈77.6% of global production, 2020)
• Uses: Dal, sambar, curries; fodder, green manure, fuelwood; nitrogen fixation (40–50 kg N/ha)

Area, Production & Productivity in India (2022)

• Average Productivity: 859 kg/ha
• Top Producing States:
  • Uttar Pradesh: 0.47 million t (0.49 million ha; productivity 944 kg/ha)
  • Madhya Pradesh: 0.44 million t
  • West Bengal: 10.53% of national production
  • Bihar: 8.84% of national production

Botanical & Agronomic Features

• Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
• Chromosome No. (2n): 22
• Root System: Deep tap root
• Pollination: Often cross-pollinated (~20%, bees: Megachile lanata, Apis florea)
• Photosynthesis: C3; short-day plant
• Germination: Hypogeal
• Soil Preference: pH 5–8, intolerant to salinity & aluminum toxicity
• Sowing Time: Mid-June (Kharif)
• Seed Rate: 12–15 kg/ha
• Spacing: 60 × 15 cm
• Plant Population:
  • Kharif crop: ~55,000 plants/ha
  • Winter crop: ~333,000 plants/ha
• Harvest Index: ~19% (lowest among pulses)
• Protein Content: ~25%

Varietal Classification

🔹 Short Duration (110–125 days)

• Prabhat: Extra-early (110–120 days)
• UPAS-120: Drought-tolerant, 120–125 days
• IPAE 15-6: 129–149 days, tolerant to sterility mosaic & Phytophthora blight, moderately wilt-resistant

🔹 Medium Duration (150–180 days)

• BDN-1 & BDN-2: Popular in central India
• C-11: Widely cultivated
• Mulcta: Wilt-resistant
• Bheema (GRG-152): 165 days; resistant to Fusarium wilt & SMV

🔹 Long Duration (180–300 days)

• PUSA-9: For long-season regions
• IPA 203 (Prakash): 249–255 days; wilt resistant

Hybrid Varieties

• ICPH-8 (ICRISAT, 1991): First pigeonpea hybrid; matures in 130–132 days; yield potential 20 q/ha
• PPH-4: Punjab release
• CoH-1: Tamil Nadu release
• AKPH 4101, AKPH 2022: Recent hybrids with improved traits
• IPH 15-03 (2020), IPH 9-05 (2021): Wilt & disease resistant

Recent Developments

• TDRG 59 (ICPL 99050): South zone; wilt & SMV resistant; 170 days; yield ~1719 kg/ha
• Bheema (GRG-152): Central India; 165 days; highly disease resistant
• NAM Lines (NAM88, NAM92, NAM151): Developed via Nested Association Mapping; high yield potential

GI Tagged Varieties

• Gulbarga Tur Dal (Karnataka, 2019)
• Borsuri Tur Dal (Maharashtra, Latur, 2024)
• Uttarakhand Pahari Toor Dal (2023)
• Attappady Thuvara (Kerala, 2022)
• Tandur Redgram (Telangana, 2022)

Cropping System

• Intercropping: Pigeonpea + sorghum, pearl millet, groundnut, sesame, soybean
• Sequential: Pigeonpea – Wheat / Pigeonpea – Chickpea

Fertilizer Requirement

• 20:50:0 NPK kg/ha (basal dose)
• FYM: 5–10 t/ha
• Biofertilizers: Rhizobium + PSB inoculation
• Micronutrient response to Sulphur, Zinc

Major Diseases & Pests

• Diseases:
  • Wilt (Fusarium udum) → most important
  • Sterility Mosaic Virus (SMV) → “Green plague”
  • Phytophthora blight
• Pests:
  • Pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) → most destructive
  • Pod fly, plume moth, aphids

Weed Management

• Critical period: 30–60 DAS
• Intercultural + hand weeding
• Pre-emergence: Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha

Harvest & Yield

• Harvest when 75–80% pods turn brown
• Yield:
  • Pure crop: 12–15 q/ha
  • Intercrop: 6–8 q/ha

Key Points

• 2nd most important pulse of India (after chickpea)
• Hybrid pigeonpea developed first at ICRISAT (Hyderabad)
• Very low harvest index (~19%) → big yield gap
• Major constraints: Wilt & Pod borer
• GI tagging has boosted regional branding & farmer income