Technology Mission on Pulses

In India, pulses are grown on 22-23 million hectares area with annual production of 13-15 million tonnes. Being a rich source of protein energy coupled with the unique ability to restore/improve soil health and minimal reliance on external inputs, pulses under Crop Diversification have assumed the role of panacea for sustainable farming system. Thereby, arresting deleterious effects on natural resources due to continuous cultivation of high water and input intensive Cereal Crops.

In the past five decades, pulses production could not keep pace with burgeoning population and consequently, their per capita availability has progressively declined from 60 g in 1950-51 to 32 g at present. As a result, the annual import has increased from 0.50 million tonnes to 1.80 million tonnes during the last five years and contribution of pulses in the national food basket reduced from 17% to 7%.

Pulses are generally grown on marginal and sub-marginal lands under rainfed conditions with low inputs and suffer heavily due to biotic and abiotic stresses, resulting into low productivity. Added to this is non-appreciable dissemination of improved production technology and synergy among production, marketing, processing and policy related issues. To make India self reliant in pulse production, at least 16.0 million tonnes production must be achieved by terminal year (2006-2007) of the Xth plan.

The existing production technology is capable of increasing productivity at least by 30% as amply demonstrated by on-farm trials. This coupled with technological interventions and operational synergy among planners, administrators, researchers, extension workers and developmental agencies in mission mode can translate the vision into reality.