🌾 Pigeonpea (Arhar/Tur) Production Technology
Complete production guide for pigeonpea covering short, medium, and long duration types, sterility mosaic disease, Maruca pod borer IPM, and India's 80% global share.
This lesson gives a practical guide to pigeonpea production across duration groups, with integrated management of key pests, diseases, and resource constraints.
Importance of Pigeonpea
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is the 2nd most important pulse crop in India after chickpea (Bengal gram). It is unique among pulses for its dual-purpose utility — the grain is used as dal (the most popular dal in India — toor dal/arhar dal), and the plant provides firewood and fodder. Key statistics:
- India accounts for approximately 80% of world pigeonpea production — making it the overwhelmingly dominant producing country
- Top producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh
- Protein content: 22–24% in dry grain; also contains substantial starch and dietary fibre
- Pigeonpea is a perennial shrub grown as an annual crop in most of India
Botanical Classification
- Scientific name: Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.
- Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
- Chromosome number: 2n = 22
- Pollination: Largely self-pollinated (5–25% cross-pollination possible); pod formed after self-fertilisation
- Growth habit: Indeterminate — flowers and pods at multiple nodes simultaneously; harvesting complex
- Root system: Deep tap root — primary reason for drought tolerance; roots penetrate 2–3 m depth
Types by Duration
| Duration | Days to Maturity | Varieties/Hybrids | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short duration | <150 days | ICPL-87119 (Asha), UPAS-120 | Inter-cropping, early harvest; single flush |
| Medium duration | 150–210 days | C-11, ICP-8863 | Moderate yield; suitable for many states |
| Long duration | >210 days | Bahar, SA-1, Prabhat | Traditional varieties; higher yield but longer season |
Climate Requirements
- Temperature: 18–29°C; warm-season tropical/subtropical crop
- Rainfall: 600–1000 mm; drought tolerant due to deep root system
- Very sensitive to waterlogging: Even brief flooding causes severe root damage and wilt
- Photoperiod: Short-day plant (promotes flowering under days shorter than critical photoperiod) — traditional long-duration varieties are highly photoperiod-sensitive; short-duration varieties are less sensitive
- Perennial in origin; grown as annual in India
Soil Requirements
- Well-drained loam to sandy loam soils
- pH: 6.0–7.5 (neutral to slightly acidic optimal)
- Does not tolerate saline or alkaline soils — unlike chickpea which tolerates moderate salinity
- Good soil aeration essential for nodulation and root development
- Deep soils preferred for maximum tap root development
Seed Rate and Planting
- Seed rate: 15–20 kg/ha
- Rhizobium seed treatment: Strain IC-3335 (Bradyrhizobium sp.); 10g inoculant per kg seed; coat with jaggery slurry
- Sowing season: June–July (Kharif)
- Spacing:
- Medium duration: 60×20 cm
- Long duration: 75×30 cm
- Pigeonpea is frequently grown as an intercrop with cereals (sorghum, maize, pearl millet) at wider spacings
Nutrient Management
- Recommended NPK: 20:50:25 kg/ha
- Rhizobium + PSB: Reduces chemical N requirement; fixes 100–200 kg N/ha in well-nodulated crop
- Starter N: 20 kg/ha basal to support early growth before nodule establishment
- Sulphur: 20–25 kg/ha as SSP or gypsum — very responsive; critical for nodulation and seed protein synthesis
- Zinc: 25 kg/ha ZnSO₄ in deficient soils
Weed Management
- Critical period: First 45 days (crop grows slowly initially)
- Pendimethalin 0.75 kg ai/ha as pre-emergence herbicide (within 72 hrs of sowing)
- First inter-cultivation at 20–25 DAS
- Second inter-cultivation at 40–45 DAS
- In intercropped situations, herbicide selection must be compatible with both component crops
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Maruca Pod Borer (Maruca vitrata)
- Also called gram pod borer or legume pod borer
- Potential yield loss: 30–100% without management — the most devastating insect pest of pigeonpea
- Larvae bore into developing pods; web leaves together; feed on seeds inside pod
- Management:
- Chlorantraniliprole (Coragen 18.5 SC) at 0.4–0.5 mL/L — most effective
- Indoxacarb 15.8 EC at 1 mL/L; Quinalphos 0.05%
- Pheromone traps for monitoring adult moth flight
- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sprays for soft-body larvae
Helicoverpa Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera)
- Bollworm that feeds on pods and seeds
- Pheromone monitoring; Chlorantraniliprole; Emamectin benzoate
Pod Fly (Melanagromyza obtusa)
- Maggot mines inside seed; adult lays eggs in pod
- Quinalphos spray at pod initiation; pheromone traps; early-maturing varieties escape peak fly pressure
Major Diseases
| Disease | Pathogen | Management |
|---|---|---|
| Sterility Mosaic Disease (SMD) | Phytoplasma; transmitted by eriophyid mite (Aceria cajani) | Most serious disease; plants become sterile, bushy, mosaicked; no pods formed; use mite-tolerant varieties; spray Wettable Sulphur 0.3% to control mite vector; rogue infected plants |
| Fusarium wilt | Fusarium udum | Yellowing and wilting; soil-borne; resistant varieties (ICPL-87119 is wilt-tolerant); Carbendazim seed treatment; crop rotation |
| Alternaria blight | Alternaria alternata | Circular brown spots; Mancozeb 0.2% spray |
| Pigeonpea mosaic virus | PPMV (aphid-transmitted) | Use virus-free seed; imidacloprid seed treatment for aphid control |
Harvesting
- Long-duration varieties: January–February harvest in North/Central India
- Short/medium duration: October–November
- Indeterminate habit makes harvesting complex — pods at different maturity stages simultaneously
- Manual picking: 2–3 harvests at 10–15 day intervals (preferred for quality; less shattering)
- Single mechanical harvest: Possible for medium-duration, semi-determinate varieties (at 90% maturity)
- Combine harvesting: Being developed for varieties with compact canopy and uniform pod maturity
Yield Potential
| Duration Type | Yield (t/ha) |
|---|---|
| Short duration (<150 days) | 1.0–1.5 t/ha |
| Medium duration | 1.5–2.0 t/ha |
| Long duration | 1.5–2.5 t/ha |
| Hybrids (ICPH-2671) | 2.5–3.0 t/ha |
Pigeonpea Varieties and Hybrids — Summary Table
| Variety/Hybrid | Duration | Yield (t/ha) | Disease Resistance | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICPL-87119 (Asha) | Short (<150d) | 1.2–1.5 | Wilt, SMD tolerant | ICRISAT; most important short-duration |
| UPAS-120 | Short (~120d) | 1.0–1.2 | — | Early maturing; UP, Bihar |
| C-11 | Medium | 1.5–2.0 | Moderate wilt tolerance | Old popular variety |
| ICP-8863 | Medium | 1.5–2.0 | Wilt tolerant | ICRISAT; medium duration |
| Bahar | Long (>210d) | 2.0–2.5 | — | Traditional; eastern India |
| ICPH-2671 | Medium-late | 2.5–3.0 | Wilt + SMD tolerant | ICRISAT hybrid; high yield potential |
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Area | Key Exam Point |
|---|---|
| National role | India contributes the major global share of pigeonpea |
| Management lever | Duration-specific variety and spacing improve stability |
| Protection focus | Sterility mosaic and pod borer are major yield threats |
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
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