PULSES

Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and
color within a pod. Pulses are used for food and animal feed.

They are crops harvested solely for the dry grain. Pulses are important food crops due to their high protein
and essential amino acid content. Like many leguminous crops, pulses play a key role in crop rotation due
to their ability to fix nitrogen.

Pulses are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of
rice. For this reason, pulses are sometimes called "poor man’s meat".

India is the largest producer of pulses in the world.

Masur

Masur or Lentil is one of the earliest crops cultivated by human beings. A native of the
central Asian region and known for its lens shaped seeds and vast range of colours, Masur
dal still remains an important item in global food basket. Protein content of masur is rated
next to soybean.

India is the largest producer of masur accounting for nearly 25 percent of the global
output. Major centres of masur cultivation are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
West Bengal, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Assam also contribute to the country’s
masur production.

Masur is sown during November-December and harvested in February- March. Peak

season of supply begins from April.

India exports around 100,000 tons of Masur dal every year. The country also imports
nearly 50,000 tons every year. The main destinations of exports are Sri Lanka, Egypt,
UAE, Sudan, Yemen and Bangladesh. Imports are mainly from Canada, USA, Turkey and
Australia.
Chana

Chana or Chickpea is a major pulse crop in the Indian subcontinent and several other
countries. Known for rich protein content, chana is used as an edible seed as well as
making flour. Chana is broadly divided into two categories – Kabuli and Desi-- according
to the colour, seed size and taste.

Global Situation

Total global production of channa is estimated to be around 8-9 million tons per year. In
2006-07, the global output is expected to slip by 2 percent to 8.65 million tons due to
adverse climatic conditions in major producing countries such as India, Pakistan and
Australia. Total supply in 2006-07 is estimated at 9.15 million ton, which includes the
carry over stock from the previous year.

Indian Situation

India is the leading producer and consumer of chana in the world. The Indian production
is estimated to be between 4-7 million tons per year. Normally chana accounts for around
40 percent of India’s total pulses crop production of 12-15 million tons. Major producing
states are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

In India, Chana is a rabi crop and is sown from November-December and harvested from
February-March. Peak season of fresh crop arrival begins from March-April at major
trading centers. Besides domestic output, India also imports around 300,000-400,000 ton
chana per year. Main countries of imports are Canada, Australia, Iran and Myanmar.
Tur

Tur or Pigeon Pea is another pulse crop known for its rich nutritional value and wide use
across many countries in the world. Tur believed to be a native of India spread to other
regions in Asia and is currently cultivated in nearly 25 countries. It is also known as red
gram, Congo Pea, Gungo pea etc.

Global Situation

Global production of tur is estimated to be around 4 million tons. Global production of

tur has increased 40 percent since 1970s with the rise in area of cultivation in many
countries in Asia and Africa. India is the largest producer accounting for more than 80
percent in area as well as total production in the world. Other major producers are
Myanmar, Malawai, Nepal etc.

Indian Situation

The total area under tur is estimated at 3.75 million hectares. The main centres of tur
output in India are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Tur contributes nearly 20 percent of India’s total pulses crop production of 12-15 million
tons per year. The yield in India is between 600-1,200 kg per hectare. Tur is cultivated
between June-September period and arrival of fresh crop begins from October. India also
imports around 400,000-500,000 ton of tur per year. The main source for import is
Myanmar.
Urad

Urad or Black Gram is a widely cultivated in tropical region of Asia. Also known as
Black Matpe, Urad is known for its nutritional values and fermenting qualities. An
indispensable entity in South Indian cuisine such as dosa, idli and vada, urad is also used
in many other dishes in India as well as other countries.

Global Situation

Urad is produced mainly in Asian countries. India is the largest producer and consumer
followed by Myanmar and Thailand. Grown mostly as an inter-crop with maize, jowar
and other cereals, urad is sown during February, June-July and October according to the
area of cultivation.

Indian Situation

India produces around 1.3-1.5 million tons of urad every year accounting for nearly 10
percent of the country’s total pulse crop output of 12-15 million ton. Main production
centres of urad are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Madhya
Pradesh. India also imports an average 100,000-200,000 tons of urad every year. Main
source of import is Myanmar. Major domestic markets of urad are Mumbai, Jalgaon,
Latur and Akola in Maharashtra and Indore, Bhopal and Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.
Chennai, Gulbarga, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kanpur, also are other major trading centres of
urad.
Yellow Peas

Yellow Peas, also known as Dry Peas, is one of the most widely used pulse crops in the
world. A native of China, Yellow Pea cultivation currently is concentrated in few
countries in the world. Broadly two varieties --dry green peas and dry yellow peas--exist
for Yellow Peas.

Global Situation

Global output of Yellow Peas is estimated to be around 12 million tons. Canada accounts
for bulk of the global output with over 3 million tons on average per year. Canada is also
the leading global supplier with nearly 20 percent of the global Yellow Peas trade. Nearly
140 countries in the world are depending upon major producers of yellow peas for their
requirements. China, India, France, Australia etc. are the other major producers.

Indian Situation

India is rated as the fourth largest producer of Yellow Peas in the world with an output of
nearly 800,000 tons per year. India is also the largest importer of the crop accounting for
around 700,000-800,000 tons. Uttar Pradesh is the main producing centre in India with 60
percent of the country’s total output. Other major producers are Madhya Pradesh, Bihar
and Punjab.
Moong

Climate and soil

The important states producing this pulse are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The grains
(whole or split) are used as pulse or made into flour, and into straw and husk as fodder for
cattle. Unlike other pulses, it does not produce a heaviness or flatulence. Grains are also
eaten whole (after germinating them), parched, salted, with sugar or boiled with
condiments.
Mung beans are cultivated during two seasons. One is the Rabi season (starting
November), and the other is the Kharif season (starting March). Mung beans are tropical
(or sub-tropical) crops, and require warm temperatures (optimal at 30-35°C). Loamy soil
is best for mung bean cultivation.

Uses
Mung beans are commonly used in Chinese cuisine, where they are called lǜ dòu (绿豆,
literally "green bean"), as well as in Japan, Korea, India, Thailand and Southeast Asia. In
Vietnam, they are called đậu xanh (again, literally "green bean"). They are generally
eaten either whole (with or without skins) or as bean sprouts, or used to make the dessert
"green bean soup". The starch of mung beans is also separated from the ground beans to
make jellies and noodles.

Dehulled mung beans can also be used in a similar fashion as whole beans for the
purpose of making sweet soups. Mung beans in some regional cuisines of India are
stripped of their outer coats to make mung dal. In other regions of India such as Andhra
Pradesh, a delicious vegetable preparation is made using fresh grated coconut, green
chillies, mung and typical South Indian spices - asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, mustard
seeds, urad lentil. In south Indian states, mung beans are also eaten as pancakes. They are
soaked in water for 6 to 12 hours (the higher the temperature the lesser soaking time).
Then grounded into fine paste along with ginger, salt. Then pancakes are made on a very
hot griddle. These are usually eaten for breakfast. This provides high quality protein in a
raw form that is rare in most Indian regional cuisines. Pongal is another recipe that is
made with rice and mung beans with out skin. They are widely consumed by Keralites
along with kanji (rice gruel).

In India the mung beans are also consumed as a snack. The dried mung beans are soaked
in water, then partly dried to a dry matter content of approx. 42% before and then deep-
fried in hot oil. The frying time varies between 60 and 90 seconds. The fat content of this
snack is around 20%. This snack is traditionally prepared at home and is now also
available from industrial producers.
Common bean

There are various varieties in the common bean

Typical ones are:

Pinto bean

White bean

Red kidney bean

Black bean
Black eyes bean:

The common bean is high in starch, protein and dietary fiber and is an excellent source of
iron, potassium, selenium, molybdenum, thiamine, vitamin B6, and folic acid.

Dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place. Dried beans are almost
always cooked by boiling, often after having been soaked for several hours. While the
soaking is not strictly necessary, it shortens cooking time and results in more evenly
textured beans.

Common beans take longer to cook than most pulses: cooking times vary from one to
four hours but are substantially reduced with pressure cooking.

Dry beans may also be bought pre-cooked and canned as refried beans, or whole with
water, salt, and sometimes sugar.
Peas . The major part of the area under this crop is in the Indo-Gangetic plains, Uttar
Pradesh, accounting for 0.5 million hectares and 0.47 million tonnes (out of 0.65 million
hectares, with a production of 0.5 million tonnes). It is a high-yielding pulse crop; unripe
pods are used as a green vegetable and the broken parts are used as a cattle feed.