Dr. Gajraj Singh Dahiya

Mailing Address

Pulses Section, Deptt. of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, CCS HAU, Hisar-125 004

Phone No : 1662255406

Email Id :pulses@hau.ac.in

Pulses play multidimensional role in agro-ecosystem. Being rich source of better quality proteins, minerals and vitamins, they enrich the human and animal nutrition. Their complementary nutritive value furnish the most practical means of eradicating the wide spread protein deficiency malnutrition and form a vital base for nutritional security. They are low water and fertilizers guzzlers, symbiotically fix the nitrogen from environment and help in improving soil health through their supplementary effect on its biological, chemical and physical properties resulting in long-term fertility and sustainability of the cropping systems. Thus pulses can be considered as one of the best option for diversification. Crop diversification is a new paradigm of sustainable agriculture and diversification in favour of pulses is imperative for raising income, sustainable production, food and nutrient security, import reduction, export promotion, employment generation, poverty alleviation, judicious use of land and water resources and reduction in environmental pollution.

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses and produced 26.96 million tons pulses from 30.37 million hectares with 888 kg/ha productivity in 2021-22. In recent years, concerted research efforts and a number of Government initiatives to enhance pulses production has resulted in steady growth in pulses production and reduced the dependence on imports from 6.66 million tons in 2016-17 to 2.7 million tons in 2021-22. Pulses Section of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar is among the leading centre of Pulses Breeding in India and has played a crucial role in this enhancement of pulses production. Varietal development programme with well defined objectives to develop high yielding, disease resistant, early maturing short duration varieties suitable for intensive cropping systems, is a continuing process in the Section. Untiring efforts have paid good dividends in the form of Release and Notification of 40 varieties of different pulse crops i.e. nine of mungbean (Asha, Muskan, Sattya, Basanti, MH 421, MH 318, MH 1142, MH 1762 and MH 1772), fifteen of chickpea (L-144, L-550, C-235, C-214, H-355, H 208, Gaurav, HC-1, HC-3, HC-5, HC-6, HC-7, HK-1, HK-2 & HK-4), nine of fieldpea (Aparna, Jayanti, Uttara, Hariyal, HFP 9426, HFP 529, HFP 715, HFP 1426 and HFP 1428), four of lentil (Sapna, Garima,  HM-1 and LH 17-19), two of pigeonpea (Paras & Manak) and one of urdbean (UH-1). 

The impact of any agricultural technology developed by an Institute can only be judged through the adoption rate by the farmers. High yielding, early maturing and disease resistant varieties, enhanced availability of nucleus, breeder and certified/quality seed resulted in spectacular increase in adoption of these varieties. Though Haryana is a small state with only 1 to 1.5 per cent area under pulses yet our varieties became very popular among the farmers at state as well as national level and helped to a great extent in revolutionizing pulses cultivation in India. Besides, CCS HAU is pioneer in development of first leafletless fieldpea variety Aparna and first mechanized harvesting and intercropping amenable chickpea variety HC-5. Our two mungbean varieties i.e. MH 421 and MH 1142 which are highly resistant to MYMV with high adaptability are now among the most popular varieties covering more than 20% of total mungbean area in India. After their release, the area and production of mungbean in different states especially in Rajasthan (largest grower of mungbean) has increased thereby enhancing the overall production of pulses in India. The AICRP on MULLaRP conferred “BEST CENTRE AWARD-2018” for outstanding contribution in development of high yielding varieties of mungbean. Earlier also the AICRP on MULLaRP awarded “BEST MUNGBEAN TEAM AWARD” in 2008 to CCS HAU.

Last Updated :-Mon, Mar 18 2024