Redgram

Crisis Management

Strategies for increasing production

  • Increasing pulses production is important target for next 10th five year plan. Since there are predominantly grown in dryland areas, appropriate moisture conservation measures are essential for higher productivity. Poor drainage and water logging also limit productivity. Some of strategies to achieve this goal are presented hereunder.

Expansion of area

  • It is possible, if the production of pulses is remunerative, in which case the farmers may shift the area under other crops for growing pulses.
  • Eg., I) Pure crop of redgram (Hyd 3C/TTB 7) in parts of Southern districts of Karnataka in rotation to finger millet.
  • Increasing area under intercropping-sorghim-redgram (2:1) and groundnut redgram (8:2) were found to be promising.
  • Increasing areas under double cropping, greengram, rabi sorghum and short duration grain legumes in kharif rice fallows.

Increasing productivity

  • This is most important in achieving the target. Emphasis should be on the use of nonmonetary and low cost technologies and adoption of crucial operations. Besides increasing the efficiency of the costly inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. Some of the important management strategies to achieve this goal are:
  • Use of high yielding and disease resistant variety.
  • Seed treatment with fungicides and Rhizobium culture.
  • Timely sowing and timely weed control.
  • Maintenance of adequate plant stand.
  • Adoption of moisture conservation practices in drylands and providing 1-2 protective irrigations wherever possible.
  • Application of phosphate fertilizers.
  • Providing minimal plant production timely and with precision in operation.

Constraints of Production

  • The following have been realized as the major constraints in productivity of pigeonpea.

Unfavourable weather conditions

  • Pigeonpea crop is subjected to a great loss due to adverse weather conditions. this crop is very much susceptible to water-logging conditions. in India, about 85 per cent of rains are received within 2-3 months in a year. continuous and heavy rains cause great damage in rainy season. rains just after sowing adversely affect the germination.
  • Continuous rains do not allow the fields to come in physical condition to perform interculture operations

Abnormal soil condition

  • Abnormal soils such as saline-alkali soils, acidic soils, waterlogged soils which occupy a large area in the country are not at all suitable for the cultivation of this crop.

Varietal constraints

  • Lack of short duration varieties, flower drop, indeterminate growth habit, poor response to inputs, instability in performance and high susceptibility to diseases and insect pests are the major constraints in pigeonpea.

Seed constraints

  • Poor quality, inadequate availability, high price and untimely availability of seed are the major problems.

Agronomic constraints

  • Improper sowing time, inadequate plant population, defective method of sowing, inadequate interculture, inadequate use of phosphatic fertilizers and improper method of the application are the major agronomic constraints.

Neglected use of Biofertilizers

  • Non-availability of efficient strains, inadequate production, ignorance about the advantages of cultures, improper storage facilities and non-awareness of techniques of application are mainly responsible for minimal use of bio-fertilizers.
  • Lack of plant protection measures.
  • Training constraints.
  • Socio-economic constraints.
  • Inadequate research infrastructure.
  • Lack of machinery.
  • Losses during storage. Losses during processing.

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Karnataka