Pulses are a wonderful gift of nature. This group of crops provide nutrition to human beings as well as animals, besides improving soil health by fixing Nitrogen. Their importance as a source protein for masses in India is well recognized and therefore, their production and availability assume special significance for the nutritional security of the people. The North Eastern region of India is a potential area for pulse production. The total area of pulses in Assam is around 1.5 lakh hectares with a productivity of 787 kg/ha in 2022-23. There are three important pulse growing seasons in Assam. These are summer, kharif and rabi. The major pulses grown during different season in Assam are black gram (Vigna mungo), green gram (Vigna radiata) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) during summer and kharif season. Field pea (Pisum sativum), lentil (Lens culinaris) and lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus) are grown during rabi season. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and rice bean (Vigna umbellata) are minor pulses. Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), dolichos bean and winged bean are generally grown as vegetables. The districts Nalbari, Barpeta, Kamrup, Darrang, Dhubri, Chirang, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Jorhat, Nagaon and Barpeta are the major pulse producing districts of the state of Assam.
The Research project, AICRP on MULLaRP is being implemented at Shillongani as sub-centre from 1978 for the improvement in pulse production scenario in the state. Presently research work on Pulses is being conducted under the projects, AICRP on Kharif Pulses and AICRP on Rabi Pulses.
Salient Research Achievements
o Greengram variety AAU SGC 16 notified during 2022 and AAU SGC 20
notified during 2023
o Blackgram variety AAU SBC 40 notified during 2022 and AAU SB 42-8 &
AAU SBC 47 notified during 2023
o Field pea variety AAU SPC 101 notified during 2023
o Lentil variety PL 9, Axom Masur 1 & Axom Masur 2 recommended for
cultivation in Assam
o Blackgram variety AAU SBC 50 recommended and will be placed for
notification during 2025
Varieties under pipeline
o Greengram variety AAU SGC 25 & AAU SGC 26
o Blackgram variety AAU SBC 51
o Field pea variety AAU SPC 102 & AAU SPC 103
o Lentil variety AAU SLC 102 & AAU SLC 103
o Rajmash variety AAU Kmj Rajmash 1 & AAU Kmj Rajmash 2
Varieties identified and recommended
for cultivation from National pool
a) Greengram:
K-851, ML-56 and ML-131
b)
Blackgram: UG
157, JU 78, USJD 113, KU 301 and PU 31
c)
Lentil:
L-9-12, PL-406, PI 81-4, B-77, KLS-218 and HUL-57
d)
Field pea: HUP
2, HFP 4, HUDP 15, Aman and Prakash
e) Rajmash: Uday, HUR 301, HUR 203 and Arun
Production technologies generated:
o
Organic Package of Practices
of lentil and kharif blackgram & greengram
o
Seed inoculation with Rhizobium – PSB
consortium @ 50 g/kg + sodium molybdate @ 0.5 g/kg seed and two foliar sprays
of 0.5% NPK (19:19:19) one at branching and second spray at 15 days after first
spray in Relay Field pea
o
Seed inoculation with ZSB @ 50
g/kg along with basal application of 15 kg ZnSO4.7H2O /
ha (2 kg/bigha) in Lentil
o
Two sprays of ZnSO4.7H2O
@ 0.5% at pre-flowering and pod initiation stages of Relay Grass pea
o
Relay
cropping of chickpea: Broadcast the seeds of chickpea @
70 kg/ha in standing crop of Sali rice at 15-20 days after 50% flowering
in soil with sufficient moisture and maintain the cutting height of rice
stubble at 35 cm
o
Chickpea
based inter-cropping system: Grow linseed as inter crop
with chickpea in the raw ratio 6:2 in respect of getting higher chickpea
equivalent yield (CEY), land equivalent ratio (LER), economics and also reduce
Pod borer infestation
Protection technologies generated:
ü
Management of web blight of
greengram: Three sprays of tebuconazole 25 EC @0.1% (600-700ml/ha) at 10-15
days interval just after appearance of web blight disease
ü
Management of pea rust: Spraying of tebuconazole 25 EC @ 0.1% (500-600
ml mixed with 500-600 lit water/ha) 3 times at 10 days interval targeting from
the appearance of pea rust disease in field pea crop.
ü
Insect Pests of Black gram:
oAgainst
aphids, jassids, flea beetle, pod borers, pod bug sand leaf folder spray
chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 20 g a.i. /ha in 500-700 lit of water.
oApply
thaimethoxam 25 WG @ 0.3g/lit against white fly to control spread of Yellow
Mosaic Virus
ü
Summer greengram: Properly dried seeds of green gram should be mixed thoroughly with
black pepper seed powder @ 3g/kg of seed for protection against bruchid
infestation during storage. Treated seeds should be kept in polybags with outer
covering of gunny bags.
ü
Field pea: To control cutworm in field pea, apply rice stubbles @ 3.5 t/ha
thick (2 cm) as mulch just after sowing.
ü
Lentil: Spray
azoxystrobin 23% SC @ 1 ml/l at initiation of the disease and two more sprays
at 15 days interval for management of Stemphylium blight of lentil
