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known as ‘biological nitrogen fixation’. The nitrogen-fixing attributes of pulses account for massive natural nitrogen inputs into soils that can enhance soil fertility and biodiversity, thereby improving farmland productivity. Cultivating or alternating pulses in the same field with other crops ensures that other plants benefit from fertile and healthy soil. Biological nitrogen fixation thus aids in reducing the need for hazardous chemical fertilizers, while maintaining soil fertility, high levels of seed protein and high yields, and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Pigeon pea – the wonder pulse: Pigeon pea is one of the most important pulse crops that grows in the tropical and subtropical climates of South Asia, East Africa and Central America. Like other pulses, pigeon pea also is an excellent source of vegetarian protein, dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins and lipids. Pigeon pea is a popular choice in many food preparations across the world.
Not only does the pigeon
pea provides a valuable food
source, but also its leaves can
be used as animal feed and
its woody parts as firewood.
The plant grows easily, even
in harsh conditions and semi-
arid environments. It is drought
tolerant and can grow in rainfall-
deficient areas. Also, being a
deep-rooted plant, pigeon pea
does not compete with other
plants for resources. Instead,
it can pull the water from deep
within the soil and supply
groundwater to other crops.
Current scenario of pigeon
pea production in India: Pigeon
pea, popularly known as ‘Arhar’,
‘Toor’ or ‘Tuvar’ in the Indian household, is one of the most sought-after pulse crops cultivated in the drylands of India. Thousands
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of poor farmers grow pigeon pea on marginal lands with minimal inputs. The crop is mostly grown in intercropping, that is along with other crops in the same field, and often as a rotation crop with cereals. The rationale behind this practice lies in the fact that pigeon pea aids in maintaining soil health and fertility by adding more nitrogen to the soil through biological nitrogen fixation, which in turn reduces the application of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers in the subsequent cropping season. India is the largest producer of pigeon pea, accounting for about 82% of the global production. Even though India is the largest producer, it is the world’s largest importer of pigeon pea as the national productivity, that is the yield per unit cultivated area of pigeon pea is at a low level. The crop often suffers from inconsistent yields due to various reasons, including poor nodule formation by ineffective rhizobia, use of less productive land and waterlogging or low
rainfall during critical stages of crop growth.
Prioritizing research to improve pigeon pea production: Pigeon pea remained an orphan crop as the scientific community has neglected it for a long time. However, in the present scenario of global climate change and population boom, pigeon pea is rapidly gaining popularity as a food security crop among farmers and consumers alike. Nevertheless, the low national productivity of pigeon pea and the broader issues of food security, ecological and economic challenges of crop production and soil improvement in India
need to be addressed on top priority. In this direction, the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and Biotechnology
Rhizobia convert inert nitrogen gas in the air into reactive nitrogen compounds (mainly ammonia) that can be readily utilized by the host plants
to produce amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of proteins. The phenomenon by which atmospheric nitrogen is ‘fixed’ or converted into a readily usable form by microorganisms such as rhizobia is known as ‘biological nitrogen fixation’.