Methods of Cultivation of Pulses in India

Pulses are a type of extraordinary crops, as they are associated with the in-built mechanism for fixing atmospheric nitrogen in respective root nodules. In a nutshell, Pulses are helpful in restoring the fertility of soil because certain bacteria are present in their roots that perform this nitrogen fixation.

Methods of Cultivation of Pulses in India

Pulses are the storehouse of protein and they are compatible with a range of cropping systems. Pulses are also an important source that provides a significant contribution towards the nutritionally balanced food for the vegetarian people in India.

India is a country in which huge varieties of pulse crops grow, as compared to any other part of the world.

Pulses that grow in the frequent intervals are grain or chickpea, Cicer arictinum Linn, pigeonpea, black gram, rice bean etc. With the passage of time, improvement can be seen in the production for the sake of advanced technology and generation of a range of new varieties. As a result, productivity has also increased.

Cultivation of pulses is important part linked to the rainfed agriculture. However, the appearance of latest biotypes and races of pathogens and key pests are heavily affecting the cultivation of pulses in India.  Pulses are largely susceptible to complicated diseases.

A vast range of control agents is displaying powerful protection for crops and also extend environmental and economic sustainability to particular farming operations.

Important Criteria for the Pulse Cultivation 

Pulse cultivation requires the temperature of 20° to 30°C along with the adequate rainfall of the range of 50° cms to 75 cms. Pulses can be cultivated on each type of soils; however, the best suitable soil for this cultivation is dry light soil.

Pulses are produced in all over India but the influential states are Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Nowadays, importance linked to pulses has increased because of the enhanced demand.

Pulses were the second option for the farmers in the question of cultivation. Nevertheless, the increasing awareness about the latest soil management procedure like crop rotation and so on, pulse farming is gaining attentiveness by the Indian farmers.

Nevertheless, many bottlenecks are continued in the farming of pulse till now because of unpredictable pulse prices, non-addition of pulses in PDS and so on. The farmer hardly receives the MSP and sells at the existing market prices. Future stockpiling has not been successful to a large number of farmers because their prices never attain the expectation.

It is affecting the acreages adversely, particularly during the Kharif Season in which Maize, Soybean, and Paddy yield better returns. In order to make pulses more available to the purchasers and also make it further remunerative, MSP or Minimum Support Price for all vital pulses was initiated that permits imports at bans exports and zero duty.

Further concentrated efforts are required to grow satisfactory pulse technology for rice fallow in order to enlarge the foundation of pulses production in eastern states, such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Assam.

In order to fulfill the demand regarding pulses, India is importing approximately 4.02 million tons in present times.

How to Grow Pulses in Home Garden?

Many people are interested to grow their own pulses, as pulses are easy-to-cultivate. An extra advantage is that they are equally nutritious for the soil as they are for the body. Therefore, you can easily try varieties of pulses in your own garden.

Tips to Grow Pulses in Home Garden

You will get an immense pleasure to see them growing in front of your eyes. So, just go through some useful tips below that will help you grow your pulses.

Choose a Good Spot: Pulses favor pH in the range of 6.0-6.8 along with warm and well-drained soils. It is better to select a part-shade or sunny location. You can also add some sand to the soil where pulses are growing for ensuring drainage. You can try plant the vining pulses in some pots means they can be cultivated in your own courtyard.

Decide on the Intended Growth Habit: You might have noticed that some pulses develop as vines that are able to climb a framework while other pulses are associated with more orderly and bushy growth. You can use poles or some other supports for cowpea (go through the instructions to know the important guidelines) and pintos.

Select Your Preferences: Many seed companies deal in pulse seeds. You can look for their online listings for “lentils” and “dry beans”. Some of the pulses have stories and legends associated with them. Perform your search appropriately.

Plant the Seeds: Properly follow the instructions and guidelines for spacing, create holes in the respective plot, and sow one seed per hole. It will be better if you soak the seeds in water (room temperature) for the whole night to speed up the germination process.

Caution: Rabbits are fond of pulses. Therefore, ensure that emerging and tender pulses are protected from surrounding rabbits with the help of appropriate fencing.

Mind the Climate: Pulses can tolerate drought; however, moisture is also important, particularly as flowers and pods develop. You may water your plants to initiate the growth but you should also notice their behavior afterward. Wet pulse plants are prone to white mold, so refrain from handling them during moist conditions.

Harvest Time: Harvest while pods are dry and paper-like. You can withdraw the seeds from the pods in various ways.

You need to remove the shells with hands, ideally on a front porch with a glass of refreshing lemonade. Store these shells to place in the compost pile or place your garden directly because they add nitrogen along with other nutrients back into the soil.

Next, put the pods in cloth bag or pillowcase. Now, knead it by hands, so the pods can break and the pulse seeds can overflow in the bag. After that, pour the respective contents into a baking pan or a window screen with little bit edge. Separate the papery pods and their crumbs away through gentle tossing the pods and seeds into the air on a windy day or front of a fan. Refrain yourself from standing downwind. You will observe that the lightweight crumbs and pods fly away leaving the actual harvest alone.

Now, it’s time to cherish your pulse harvest.

Importance of Pulses in Human Nutrition

Pulses are an important part of our diet. Basically, they are the edible seeds of the plants of legume family. Due to their higher protein content, pulses are a vital part of the global menu.

Pulses literally mean soup or potage. They are healthy, nutritious and easy to cook with.

According to United Nations Food and Agriculture organization (FAO), there are a total of 11 types of pulses: dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chick peas, cow peas, pigeon peas, lentils, bambara beans, vetches, lupins and pulses nes.

Pulses are a fundamental source of nutrition in most of the developing countries because they are low fat and high fiber source of protein. Being an important part of our food basket, pulses contribute 10% to the daily protein intake and 5% in daily energy intake.

Lentils can be prepared and cooked in different ways. Some needs to be soaked and some can be cooked without soaking. They can be cooked and mashed as hummus, can be used in soups, curries, casseroles and salads. They can be transformed and grounded into a flour or can be split into a dal.

A few types of baked beans can also be canned and a few can be fermented and mashed to convert into idlis and dosas.

Lentils can be used as dry snacks; they can be deep fried or can be eaten fresh as a vegetable. They can be roasted, puffed, baked or fermented. Faba beans are sold in the frozen or pod form.

Pulses play an important role in the prevention illness such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Being the primary source of both soluble and insoluble fibers, pulses help to feel with digestion and regularity.

The low glycemic index and high fiber content of the pulses makes them an important source of human nutrition. Pulses play an important role for food security in particularly low income countries. They contain a significant amount of nutrients like calcium, iron and lysine.

Pulses are also a good source of vitamins and minerals too. The key minerals of the pulses are: iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc.

As per the estimate of World Health Organisation up to 80% of heart diseases, strokes and type ll cases can be prevented only by eliminating a few risky factors such as unhealthy diet. Incorporation this essential component, pulses in your daily diet and promoting better eating habits is also helpful in dealing with different types of cancers.

The nutritional component of pulses also helps in fighting against non-communicable diseases. The pulse protein is an alternative to animal protein. It helps to limit the intake of saturated fats by increasing the intake of fibers. Pulses contain higher content of amino-acids and foliate and that is why it is very important to retain pulses in your daily diet.

Much to your surprise pulses contain twice the amount of protein found in whole grain cereals like wheat, barley, oats and rice.

Legumes are attached to long living cultures such as Japanese, Swedes and Meditarrean people.