Collection: RED GRAM

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Introduction

Red Gram, commonly known as Pigeon Pea or Tur, is a staple crop that is majorly cultivated in semi-arid regions of India. Pigeon Pea is one of the ancient crops cultivated in India. Red gram plays an important role in food security and nutrition due to their high protein content and soil-enriching properties. Red gram is scientifically known as Cajanus cajan. Red gram belongs to the Fabaceae family.

Pigeon pea is a rich source of nutrients and provides around 21 grams of protein and 15 grams of Dietary fibre per 100 grams. Pigeon Pea seeds are also rich in vitamin B6 and essential minerals such as Copper, Iron, Manganese, and Phosphorus.

India is the world’s leading producer of Pigeon Peas. Leading states include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Jharkhand.

Climate for Pigeon Pea Seeds Cultivation

Red Gram thrives in tropical, subtropical regions. The optimum temperature range for cultivating Pigeon Peas is between 25°C and 30°C. The Pigeon pea crop prefers a warm and moist climate.

The red gram crop is also resistant to drought. Thus, pigeon pea crops grow well in regions with unpredictable rainfall schedules. However, tur crops grow well upon receiving an annual rainfall of about 600 to 800 mm. Excessive rainfall during flowering damages the Arhar crop.

Soil for Sowing Red Gram Seeds

Tur Seeds, or Red gram seeds, can be grown in a variety of soil types. For best results, well-drained loamy soil with good fertility and moderate water-holding capacity are preferred. The ideal soil pH for Pigeon Pea cultivation is between 6.0-7.5.

Land Preparation for Sowing Red Gram seeds

The land needs to be ploughed thoroughly to achieve fine tilth, which provides good soil aeration and moisture. FYM at a rate of 5-10 tons per hectare can be applied to improve soil fertility. To sow tur Seeds, make raised beds or ridges and furrows. In heavy soils, sow Red gram Seeds on ridges. Sowing Red gram seeds on ridges avoids waterlogging and promotes strong root development in Pigeon pea crops.

Red Gram Seeds and Propagation Material

Selection of a Red Gram Seed Variety: Select a Reg gram seed Variety based on Climate, soil and Local market preferences.

Procurement of Quality Red Gram Seeds: To ensure a successful crop, it is essential to source the best quality Red gram seeds. At Desikheti, we provide a wide selection of premium Red gram seeds for various farming needs.

Red Gram Seed Rate: Generally, the seed rate for Red gram seeds is 2 to 4 kg per acre.

Red Gram Seed Treatment: The Red gram seeds sold by private companies are generally treated with chemicals. If untreated before purchase, Red gram seeds can be treated with a fungicide such as Thiram at 2.5 grams per kg of seed or Bavistin at 1 gram per kg of seed. In addition to fungicide treatment, it is advisable to treat the Red gram seeds with Rhizobium culture, which fixes nitrogen, thereby improving plant growth and yield.

Time of Sowing Pigeon Pea Seeds

The best time for sowing pigeon pea seeds or Tur Seeds largely depends on the region and the onset of the monsoon. In India, pigeon pea seed sowing is typically done during the Kharif season, from June to July, which aligns with the onset of the monsoon season. In areas with late and erratic monsoons, sowing of Pigeon Pea seeds can be delayed until August. Care should be taken to avoid extremely late sowing of Pigeon pea seeds as it could negatively impact the area crop yield. 

In the Rabi season, Redgram seeds are sown from September to October. Sowing of Pigeon Pea seeds should be planned so that there is no heavy rainfall during the flowering and pod formation stages of Arhar plants.

Method of Sowing Pigeon Pea Seeds

The method of sowing Pigeon Pea Seeds depends on soil, season, varieties, etc. Red Gram seeds can be sown on flatbeds, Raised beds for the early maturity group, and ridge and furrows for the late maturity group. Pigeon pea seeds can be sown either by line sowing method or by broadcasting. Line sowing of Pigeon pea seeds is preferred for better crop management and higher yields.

The spacing adopted for sowing Pigeon pea seeds is 60*10 cm for short-duration Arhar varieties and 75*20 cm for medium and long-duration Pigeon pea varieties. This spacing ensures the tur plants have enough room to grow, reducing competition for nutrients, sunlight, and moisture. The Red gram seeds should be sown at a depth of  5-7 cm.

Nutrient Management in Pigeon Pea Cultivation

Management of nutrition is essential for improving Tur yield and maintaining soil health. At the time of land preparation, 5-10 tons of organic manure per hectare is applied to enrich the soil. The blanket recommendation for the tur crop is 12.5kg of Nitrogen and 25 Kg of Phosphorus per hectare of land in Rainfed areas. In Irrigated regions, 25 Kg of Nitrogen and 50 Kg of phosphorus per hectare need to be applied. Around 20 Kg of Potassium per hectare can be applied in potassium-deficient soils. Redgram crops respond well to the application of Bio-fertilizers.

Irrigation Management in Pigeon Pea Farming

Tur crop is drought tolerant. In Kharif, irrigation is usually not required for Pigeon pea crops. Irrigation is given to tur crops only in case of inadequate rainfall in the Kharif season. The first irrigation is usually done thirty-five to forty days after sowing Pigeon pea seeds or when the crops are 15 cm high. Then, two irrigations are given, one during tur crop flowering and the other during pod formation in Pigeon pea crops. The critical periods of irrigation in Red gram are the Flower initiation and pod filling stages. If too much water is given to Thuvarai plants, it is dangerous as it causes root rot. Therefore, waterlogging should be avoided in the Red gram field.

Weed Management in Pigeon Pea Farming

The Red gram crop grows slowly in the initial 7 to 8 weeks. During this time, weed management is necessary. Weed management can be done by hand weeding or harrowing. Mulching can also be done in between rows to reduce weeds.

Pest and Disease Management in Pigeon Pea Farming

Common Pests of Redgram

Red Gram Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera)

• Young caterpillars feed on fresh, tender Thuvarai leaves.
• The adult moths bore into pods and damage the Red gram seeds inside, which can be particularly harmful.
• This pest is especially common in southern India.

Red Gram Plume Moth (Exelastis atomosa)

• Small caterpillars create tiny holes in the Thuvarai pods, inserting just their heads to feed on the Pigeon pea seeds from the outside.
• Pigeon pea seeds may show small holes or be completely eaten, leaving nothing inside.
• In severe cases, Red gram buds and flowers drop off due to the damage.

Red Gram Pod Fly (Melanagromyza obtusa)

• This pest is more common in northern and central India.
• There’s usually no sign of damage on the outside of the Pigeon pea pod when the fly lays eggs.
• Tiny maggots hatch and start burrowing inside the Pigeon pea pods to feed on the Red gram seeds.
• Early on, larvae burrow under the skin of the Pigeon pea seeds without breaking the coat, but later, they dig into the Red gram seed’s core. Just one Pigeon pea seed is usually enough to support a maggot through its development.
• Discolouration of affected Red gram pods can be observed, especially in green-podded varieties.
• Exit holes appear once adults emerge, which is often the first visible sign of infestation.

Red Gram Cow Bug (Oxyrhachis tarandus)

• Both nymphs and adults feed on sap from the Pigeon pea plant stems at any stage of plant growth.
• Their feeding can cause corky spots on the Pigeon pea plant stems and produce a sticky honeydew that attracts ants.

Red Gram Pod Bug (Cavigralla gibbosa)

• Large numbers of nymphs and adults feed on the sap from both the Red gram shoots and pods.
• This feeding weakens the shoots, shrivels the Redgram pods, and leaves dark patches on the Thuvarai seeds, reducing their germination ability.

Lentil Pod Borer (Etiella zinckenella)

• The larvae feed on flowers, newly formed pods, and developing Pigeon pea seeds.
• Signs of their presence include droppings (faecal pellets) inside the damaged Pigeon pea pods and small round holes in the pods, often sealed with excreta.

Redgram Mite (Aceria cajani)

• These mites infest the underside of Red gram leaves, causing leaves to turn yellow and flower and Pigeon pea pod production to drop.
• Affected Arhar leaves look small and show a dark green mosaic pattern, and affected plants may produce few to no flowers, such as Pigeon pea pods.

Common Diseases of Red gram

Phytophthora Blight (Phytophthora drechsleri)

• Red gram seedlings can die very quickly due to this infestation.
• Thuvarai leaves develop water-soaked, dark lesions, while stems and petioles show brown or black, sunken patches.
• Arhar leaves lose firmness and dry out, looking shrivelled.
• Thuvarai lesions often encircle the main stem or branches, causing them to break, with the area above the lesion drying up.

Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cajani)

• Wilt appears as early as 4-6 weeks after planting and can persist until flowering and pod formation in Thuvarai plants.
• Red gram plants begin to wither and dry out, with yellowing of leaves and blackening of stems, starting from the base of the Pigeon pea plant and moving upward.
• Vascular tissue inside the Thuvarai stem shows brown discolouration, leading to partial wilting.
• During flowering or pod formation, patches of dead Pigeon pea plants appear, with a distinct purple band extending up from the stem base.

Sterility Mosaic Virus (Pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus)

• Visible at all stages of Red gram plant growth.
• Infected Pigeon pea plants look bushy, with pale green leaves and no flowers or pods.
• Arhar leaves display a mix of light and dark green patches and vein-clearing on young leaves.
• Severe infections cause Pigeon pea leaves to cluster at the plant tips, with shortened internodes leading to stunted Red gram plants.
• Tur Plants infected early can experience up to 95% yield loss due to sterility.
• Older Red gram plants may show partial sterility, producing some pods, but tur seeds tend to be small and shrivelled.

Bacterial Leaf Spot and Stem Canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. cajani)

• It affects leaves and stems, especially in younger Arhar plants, and typically appears in the rainy season.
• Small brown spots with bright yellow halos appear on lower leaves, followed by rough, raised lesions on the Red gram plant stems.
• Stem cankers can weaken tur plant stems, sometimes causing breakage where primary leaves are attached.
• In severe cases, cankers can grow up to 15-25 cm long, drying out affected branches

Dry Root Rot (Rhizoctonia solani)

• This disease occurs in both young Pigeon pea seedlings and mature plants.
• Infected Arhar seedlings show reddish-brown discolouration on the collar, and lower Red gram leaves may become yellow, droop, and fall off early.
• Affected areas turn black, and Pigeon pea plants may suddenly die in patches.
• Small, dark fungal bodies are visible in shredded bark and root tissue, with brown dots on the lower stem of Pigeon pea plants indicating fungal presence.

Powdery Mildew (Leveillula taurica)

• Powdery mildew infestation appears as a white, powdery layer on the lower surfaces of Pigeon pea plant leaves.
• Affected areas on the upper Red gram leaf surface show pale yellow spots.
• In severe cases, the white powdery growth can also spread to the upper tur leaf surface.

Harvesting of Red Gram Pods

The red gram plant grows indeterminately, and there is no synchronized maturity. Therefore, harvesting of Thuvarai pods may be done at once or in 2 to 3 pickings. Usually, the Red gram plant is ready for harvest when 75-80% of the pods have matured, i.e., pods should be hard and Red gram seeds inside should be firm. Arhar plants usually reach the harvesting stage about 160-180 days after sowing red gram seeds. Red gram plants are cut above the ground level and dried in the sun before threshing. Threshing is done manually by beating the pods with sticks or by using threshers.

Red Gram Yield

With proper management practices, farmers can expect an average yield of 15 to 18 quintals per hectare for irrigated red gram crops and 10 to 15 quintals per hectare for rainfed crops. However, high-yielding varieties, along with optimal soil, nutrient, and water management, can lead to even higher yields, around or exceeding 20 quintals per hectare.