Pulses – About Department

Pulses research was started in 1943 at Coimbatore and Department of Pulses was established in the year 1971. This centre comes under the western zone of Tamil Nadu with an elevation of 426.72 m and between  11⁰N  latitude and 77⁰E longitude. The average rainfall at this centre is around 674 mm per year. The total area is 69 ha having red and black soils with 8.5 pH.

Research programmes are being undertaken on various pulses such as blackgram (Vigna mungo), greegram  (Vigna radiata), redgram (Cajanus cajan), horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum), bengalgram (Cicer arietinum), soybean (Glycine max), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), avarai (Lablab purpureus var,  typicus) and mochai (Lablab purpureus var. ligneous).  A total of 52 varieties in various pulse crops and two hybrids in redgram were released.

• Collection, evaluation and maintenance of germplasm in all pulse crops.
• Evolution of high yielding, biotic and abiotic resistant redgram varieties and hybrids utilizing cytoplasmic genic male sterile lines.
• Evolution of high yielding, short duration, MYMV resistant greengram and blackgram varieties with synchronous maturity.
• Evolution of high yielding varieties in soybean, cowpea and bengalgram.
• Production and supply of genetically pure seeds in different varieties of pulse crops.
• Development of technologies for rainfed system, weed management. yield maximization, inter cropping, microbial seed treatment and management of physiological disorders.
• Management of pest and disease through biocontrol agents and evaluation of IPM for pulses.
• Conducting Front Line Demonstrations in farmers fields and training programmes to transfer technologies for higher productivity in pulses.