Pigeon Pea (Arhar/Tur) in India Explained

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), known in India as arhar or tur, is a hardy, deep-rooted leguminous shrub grown for its protein-rich seeds, which are split and sold as tur dal, the pulse behind sambar, dal tadka and countless everyday meals. India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pigeon pea, and the crop is the country’s second most important pulse after chickpea, grown mostly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana.

Pigeon pea is valued for its nitrogen-fixing roots, its tolerance of dry spells and its place in mixed cropping, but India still imports part of its tur needs to bridge supply gaps. This explainer covers what the crop is, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, why it matters nutritionally and economically, and what policy is doing to raise domestic output. It was last reviewed on 23 October 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Pigeon pea, called arhar or tur in India, is a protein-rich legume whose split seeds are sold as tur dal, one of the most widely eaten pulses in the country.
• India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pigeon pea, yet it imports a portion of its tur supply, mainly from African countries and Myanmar.
• Pigeon pea is a kharif crop, sown with the monsoon in June or July, and it is often intercropped with cereals, cotton or oilseeds.
• The plant fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules and has a deep taproot, which improves soil fertility and helps it survive dry spells.
• Dry pigeon pea seed contains roughly one-fifth protein by weight, making tur dal a key source of vegetarian protein in Indian diets.
• Pigeon pea is covered by the government’s minimum support price (MSP), and the Union Budget 2025-26 announced a six-year mission aimed at self-reliance in pulses, with tur among its focus crops.

What Is Pigeon Pea and Why Is It Called Arhar or Tur?

Pigeon pea is a perennial legume shrub that grows one to three metres tall and produces pods containing three to five round or oval seeds, and it is known in India by the names arhar and tur. The two names are used interchangeably across northern and western India, while southern languages have their own terms such as togari bele and kandi pappu.

The English name “pigeon pea” reportedly arose because the seeds were used as feed for pigeons in the Caribbean in the colonial era. The plant has yellow, butterfly-shaped flowers, small trifoliate leaves and a woody stem that farmers often use as fuel after harvest.

Pigeon pea is eaten in several forms: as split dried dal, as fresh green pods and seeds (called hare tur or tuvar lilva in Gujarat), and as a feed crop whose leaves and husks nourish cattle.

Where Did Pigeon Pea Originate?

Pigeon pea is widely believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, with domestication taking place in peninsular India several thousand years ago, and from there it spread to Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas. Wild relatives of the crop, such as Cajanus cajanifolius, still grow in India, which supports the view that the region is its centre of origin.

Archaeological finds from central and southern India indicate that pigeon pea was cultivated by early farming communities, though scholars continue to refine the dates and routes. Today the crop is important in parts of East Africa, the Caribbean, Myanmar and Southeast Asia, but India grows by far the largest share of the world’s pigeon pea.

Where Is Pigeon Pea Grown in India?

Pigeon pea is grown across the central and southern plateau of India, and Maharashtra and Karnataka are the leading states. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand are other significant producers, while Odisha and Bihar grow it on smaller areas.

The state ranking can change from year to year with rainfall and with price signals from the market, so these regions should be read as long-standing clusters rather than fixed league tables.

How Is Pigeon Pea Cultivated?

Pigeon pea is cultivated as a rain-fed kharif crop sown at the start of the monsoon, in June or July, in well-drained soils such as black cotton soil, red soil and sandy loam. The crop is slow to establish, so early weed control is important, and farmers depend on the monsoon rains for most of the growth period.

Duration types

Pigeon pea varieties are grouped by maturity. Short-duration types ripen in about 120 to 150 days and suit double-cropping systems. Medium and long-duration types may take 160 to 270 days, and they are common in central and southern India where the crop shares land with other plants.

Intercropping and rotation

Because the crop starts slowly and forms a deep root system, farmers commonly sow it with sorghum, pearl millet, cotton, soybean or groundnut in alternating rows. This mixed system spreads risk, uses the land and water efficiently and gives the farmer a second harvest if the main crop fails.

Harvest and threshing

Plants are cut when most pods turn brown, then dried and threshed. The grain is cleaned and sold either as whole seed or taken to dal mills, where it is dehusked and split into the familiar yellow dal.

Why Is Pigeon Pea Good for Soil and Climate Resilience?

Pigeon pea is good for soil because, like other legumes, its roots host Rhizobium bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air, and this adds nitrogen to the farm system for later crops. The plant also drops a good deal of leaf litter, which adds organic matter to the soil.

The crop’s deep taproot reaches moisture lower in the soil profile, which helps it survive dry spells and break up compact soil layers. The roots can also release organic acids that help the plant take up phosphorus. These traits make pigeon pea attractive for smallholders in rain-fed regions and fit with efforts to promote crop diversification, particularly in places where paddy and sugarcane strain groundwater.

However, pigeon pea is sensitive to waterlogging, frost and prolonged cloudy weather during flowering. Heavy rain in the early stage can cause wilting, so drainage matters.

What Is the Nutritional Value of Tur Dal?

Tur dal is a rich source of vegetarian protein, containing roughly 20 to 22 per cent protein by dry weight, along with complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, folate, iron and potassium. Like other pulses, it is low in fat, and it combines well with cereals such as rice and wheat because the two food groups complement each other’s amino acids.

• Protein: high for a plant food, making tur dal a mainstay for vegetarian households.
• Fibre: supports digestion and gives a feeling of fullness.
• Micronutrients: contains folate, iron, magnesium and potassium in useful amounts.
• Cooking quality: cooks to a soft, creamy texture and is often pressure-cooked after soaking.

Some people find pulses cause gas or bloating, and soaking and cooking thoroughly reduce this. Nutrition values differ by variety and processing, so all figures are approximate.

How Is Pigeon Pea Used in Indian Cooking?

Pigeon pea is used in Indian cooking mainly as tur dal, which is boiled to a soft consistency and tempered with spices to make everyday dals, sambar, rasam and similar dishes. It is the default dal in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and much of southern India, and it appears in most thalis in some form.

Besides food, the dried stalks of the plant are used as fuel and fencing material in villages, while the husk and leaves are valuable cattle feed.

Why Does India Import Pigeon Pea?

India imports pigeon pea because domestic production has often fallen short of consumption, especially after poor monsoons, and imports bridge the gap and help stabilise prices. Supplies have come mainly from African countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi and Sudan, as well as from Myanmar.

India signed long-term arrangements with African partners, including a memorandum of understanding with Mozambique in 2016, to secure pulse supply and give farmers there assured demand. The government periodically adjusts import policy, using duty-free windows and import quotas, to balance consumer prices with farmer interests. These measures can create tension, since cheap imports may reduce the price that Indian growers receive.

The dependence on imports has made raising domestic output a policy priority. India has therefore been promoting short-duration varieties, hybrids, better seed supply and assured procurement.

What Government Policies Support Pigeon Pea Farmers?

Government support for pigeon pea farmers comes mainly through the minimum support price (MSP), procurement by agencies such as NAFED, and missions aimed at raising pulse output. The Union Government announces MSP for tur each year on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

• MSP and procurement: NAFED and other agencies buy tur from farmers at MSP in notified states, and they hold part of it as a buffer stock.
• National Food Security Mission (Pulses): supports seed distribution, demonstrations and improved practices for pulses.
• Mission for self-reliance in pulses: the Union Budget 2025-26 announced a six-year mission to raise production of tur, urad and masoor and reduce import dependence.
• Research support: the ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research at Kanpur and ICRISAT develop improved varieties and agronomy.
• Buffer stock: the government maintains a pulses buffer stock to release in the market when prices rise sharply.

What Are the Main Pests, Diseases and Breeding Advances?

The main pests and diseases of pigeon pea are the pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera), pod fly, Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease, and breeders have worked to develop varieties that resist or escape them. Pod borer is often considered the most damaging pest because its caterpillars feed directly on the developing seed.

Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that causes sudden wilting, whereas sterility mosaic is a virus carried by a mite, leading to plants that fail to flower. Growers use resistant varieties, seed treatment, crop rotation and integrated pest management to reduce losses.

A notable breeding advance is the development of hybrid pigeon pea. ICRISAT and Indian partners released ICPH 2671 around 2010 as the first commercial pulse hybrid in the world, using a genetic male-sterility system. Short-duration, wilt-resistant and high-yielding varieties are also being introduced to fit multi-cropping systems and to withstand climate variability.

Bottom Line

Pigeon pea is a cornerstone of India’s pulse economy, combining high-protein nutrition with soil-enriching, drought-tolerant farming. Raising domestic yields through better seed, assured prices and pest management is the main route to reduce India’s reliance on imported tur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are arhar dal and tur dal the same?

Yes, arhar dal and tur dal are two names for the same split pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). The terms are used interchangeably, with arhar more common in northern India and tur in western and southern India.

Which state grows the most pigeon pea in India?

Maharashtra and Karnataka are the leading pigeon pea states in India, with Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana close behind. Kalaburagi in Karnataka is called the tur bowl and has a GI-tagged tur dal.

Is pigeon pea a legume that improves soil?

Yes, pigeon pea is a legume whose root nodules fix nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil. Its deep roots and leaf litter also improve soil structure, which is why it is often grown in rotation or intercropped with cereals.

How much protein does tur dal have?

Tur dal contains about 20 to 22 per cent protein by dry weight. The figure varies a little with variety and processing, and combining dal with rice or wheat gives a more complete amino acid profile.

Why does India import tur dal?

India imports tur dal because domestic production sometimes falls short of demand, particularly after weak monsoons. Most imports come from Africa and Myanmar, and the government uses import policy and stock-holding to steady prices.

When is pigeon pea sown and harvested in India?

Pigeon pea is sown in June or July at the start of the monsoon and harvested from about November to March, depending on the variety. Short-duration types ripen in roughly four to five months, while long-duration types may take eight or nine months.

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