Fanners participatory introduction and expansion of chickpea in the rainfed rice fallow lands in India

Abstract

India imports approximately 3.5 million tonnes of pulses every year to meet its domestic consumption. It is most unlikely that irrigated area will be available for pulses cultivation in future. However, about 11.7 million ha remains fallow during the rabi (post-rainy season) after harvest of kharif (rainy season) rice in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal etc. Nearly 80% of the kharif' rice area