Seed Production Chain, Varietal Replacement of Minor Pulses in India and Strategies for Enhancing their Production: A Review

Le résumé fourni par la source

Minor pulses like moth bean, horsegram, grasspea, cowpea, French bean and other lesser grown pulses contributed 9.4%-11.7% and 6.4%-7.1% to total pulses acreage and production, respectively, during 2015-16 to 2020-21. The present paper reviews production scenario, seed production chain of minor pulses during the last decade (2010-11 to 2019-20) and tried to bring out some strategic issues for higher yield and sustainable production. Moth bean and grasspea acreage, production and yield/ha during 2019-20 were appreciably reduced by 41.4%, 60.0% and 31.7% and 39.7%, 47.2% and 40.5%, respectively as compared to that of 2010-11. Despite reduction in acreage by 9.9%, production and seed yield of horsegram were higher by 12.9% and 25.3% during the corresponding period. Of the 94 varieties of minor pulses notified during 2016-24, only 17 were in the seed chain until 2023-24. Despite adequate production of breeder seed of these crops, shortage in foundation and certified seed availability was observed in cowpea, moth bean and other pulses in a few years. The analysis indicated conversion of breeder seed to other classes of seed, low varietal replacement rate and lack of varietal diversity in the seed chain are the major issues impeding productivity of these crops. Seed requirement of different crops has also been assessed and strategy to sustain high production of these crops through seed/variety replacement was proposed.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.