Pulses

Rationale: Madhya Pradesh consistently accounts for the highest share of total pulse production in India, followed closely by Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Rationale: Pigeon pea (Arhar/Tur) is a long-duration Kharif crop sown with the onset of the monsoon and harvested around December-January.

Rationale: Pulses harbor Rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules which fix atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and conserving soil health.

Rationale: Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Gram (Chickpea) in India, benefiting from favorable black soils and semi-arid climatic conditions.

Rationale: NFSM was launched in 2007-08 by the Government of India to boost the production of rice, wheat, and pulses through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

Rationale: Pulses are primarily rainfed crops thriving in the semi-arid, dryland tracts of Central and Western India including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Rationale: Pigeon pea, scientifically known as Cajanus cajan, is widely referred to as Red Gram or Arhar/Tur.

Rationale: India is the world's largest consumer and producer of pulses, but high domestic demand driven by dietary preferences requires supplementing production with imports from Canada, Myanmar, and African nations.

Rationale: Moong can be cultivated as a short-duration catch crop during the Zaid (summer) season between the Rabi harvest and Kharif sowing.

Rationale: Many pulses, especially pigeon pea and chickpea, have deep taproot systems that penetrate deep soil profiles to tap residual moisture during dry spells.

Rationale: Karnataka, along with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, is a major producer of Tur in the southern peninsular plateau region.

Rationale: Rhizobium bacteria infect the roots of leguminous plants, forming nodules where atmospheric nitrogen is reduced to ammonia.

Rationale: India is the largest producer (roughly 25% of global production), consumer (27%), and importer (14%) of pulses in the world.

Rationale: Gram thrives best in well-drained loamy to clayey alluvial soils and regur (black cotton soils) that retain adequate moisture.

Rationale: ISOPOM was merged into the National Food Security Mission to streamline funding and boost pulse and oilseed production across India.

Rationale: Urad is primarily a Kharif crop (though grown in some southern regions during Rabi or summer), whereas Gram, Lentil, and Peas are quintessential Rabi crops.

Rationale: Rotating cereals with pulses replenishes soil nitrogen biologically and helps interrupt weed, insect, and fungal pathogen cycles.

Rationale: Canada (along with Myanmar, Australia, and African countries like Tanzania and Mozambique) is a major trading partner exporting yellow peas and lentils to India.