India’s pulse production has improved over the last decade, but yield gaps remain a serious concern. Average pulse yields in many states are still far below their potential, largely due to soil stress, erratic rainfall, pest pressure, and poor crop management. With input costs rising and climate variability increasing, improving productivity per hectare has become more important than expanding acreage. Agronomists and extension agencies are now stressing a shift from traditional practices to precision-based, crop-specific interventions that can deliver measurable yield gains in the current season.
Below are the most practical, field-tested strategies that matter right now for boosting pulse yields in Indian conditions.
Start With Soil Health, Not Just Seeds
Low productivity in pulses often begins below the surface. Pulses are sensitive to soil compaction, nutrient imbalance, and poor drainage.
Key actions that make a difference:
Soil testing before sowing to check phosphorus, sulphur, zinc, and boron levels
Correcting soil pH in acidic or alkaline fields using lime or gypsum
Avoiding continuous pulse monocropping, which weakens soil biology
Research trials show that correcting phosphorus and sulphur deficiency alone can increase pulse yields by 15–25 percent. Pulses may fix nitrogen, but they still require balanced nutrition to perform.
Choose Varieties Based on Local Stress, Not Popularity
High-yielding varieties fail when they are not suited to local climate and disease pressure. The focus is now shifting to region-specific, stress-tolerant varieties.
While selecting seeds, farmers should prioritise:
Resistance to wilt, root rot, and yellow mosaic virus
Early or medium maturity in drought-prone areas
Varieties tested under rainfed conditions, not just irrigated trials
Certified seeds with known genetic purity consistently outperform farm-saved seeds, especially in chickpea, pigeon pea, and mung bean.
Precision Sowing Is Now a Yield Factor
Sowing depth, spacing, and timing have a direct impact on plant population and pod formation.
What matters most:
Sowing at optimum soil moisture, not immediately after rainfall
Maintaining recommended row and plant spacing to reduce competition
Avoiding deep sowing, which reduces germination and nodulation
Delayed sowing has been linked to lower pod setting and higher pest damage, particularly in rabi pulses. Mechanised or line sowing improves air circulation and allows better intercultural operations.
Nutrient and Bio-Input Management Needs Updating
Pulses respond strongly to targeted nutrition, especially at early growth and flowering stages.
Best-performing practices include:
Seed treatment with Rhizobium and PSB cultures to improve nitrogen fixation
Application of sulphur and micronutrients through soil or foliar spray
Foliar nutrition at flowering, especially with micronutrient mixtures
Field studies show that biofertiliser-treated seeds can improve yields by up to 10–15 percent when soil conditions are supportive. However, bio-inputs work best when combined with proper fertiliser management, not as replacements.
Pest and Disease Control Must Be Preventive, Not Reactive
Yield losses in pulses due to pests and diseases often occur before visible symptoms appear. Waiting for damage is costly.
Current expert recommendations stress:
Early monitoring for sucking pests and pod borers
Use of integrated pest management (IPM) instead of repeated sprays
Timely fungicide application in disease-prone areas, especially during humid spells
Yellow mosaic virus, wilt, and pod borer remain the most yield-limiting factors in many pulse belts. Preventive seed treatment and timely field scouting are now considered essential, not optional.
Moisture Management Is the Hidden Yield Driver
Even short moisture stress during flowering or pod filling can sharply reduce yields.
Effective moisture strategies include:
One protective irrigation at flowering or pod formation in rabi pulses
Mulching or residue retention in rainfed systems
Avoiding waterlogging, which damages roots and nodules
Extension data from pulse-growing districts shows that a single timely irrigation can increase yields by 20–30 percent in chickpea and lentil.
Conclusion: Yield Gains Will Come From Discipline, Not Expansion
Boosting pulse yields in India is no longer about adding more land or inputs. It is about timely decisions, local adaptation, and disciplined crop management. Farmers who focus on soil correction, right varieties, precision sowing, balanced nutrition, and preventive plant protection consistently outperform those following blanket practices.
As weather patterns become more unpredictable, pulse productivity will increasingly depend on how well farmers manage risk at each growth stage. The tools and knowledge already exist. What matters now is consistent adoption at the field level.
