Performance of Grain Legumes in Uttarakhand and its Impact on Sustainable Agriculture — A Study in Villages of Assam Valley

The study undertaken in the villages of Assam valley in Uttarakhand has assessed the temporal and spatial changes in the status of grain legumes and has examined their role in influencing the use of inorganic sources of nitrogenous fertilizers, and effects on productivity growth of rice and wheat. A effort has been made to find out the economics of pulses production in the state of Uttarakhand. The constraints identified include a decline in the supply of labour during the period of major field operations, which has led to a rise in cost of production of these crops. Data have been collected from several published source from 1990-91 to 2007-08 and three-year moving average method has been computed for production, area and yield of major grain legumes to examine the sources of growth in their production. Traditionally, legumes have been an important element of the cropping systems in Uttarakhand. With the introduction of improved varieties of rice and wheat, legumes have been replaced to a larger extent.