Q. Consider the following crops of India:- Cowpea
- Green gram
- Pigeon pea
Which of the above is/are used as pulse, fodder and green manure? (UPSC Prelims 2012)
Answer:
1 and 2 only
Notes: While all three are biologically capable of serving those functions, the
UPSC 2012 official key identifies
[A] 1 and 2 only (Cowpea and Green Gram) as the correct answer.
The distinction often lies in the "common agricultural practice" and "duration" of the crops in the Indian context:
-
Cowpea (Lobia) and Green Gram (Moong): These are short-duration crops (60–90 days). Because they grow rapidly and produce significant succulent green biomass in a short window, they are the standard choices for Green Manure. They can be grown between the major Kharif and Rabi seasons and ploughed back into the field before the next main crop is sown.
-
Pigeon Pea (Arhar/Tur): Although it is a legume and fixes nitrogen, Pigeon Pea is a long-duration crop (occupying the field for 150–200 days). In standard Indian farming cycles, it is rarely used as "Green Manure" because it stays in the field for almost two full seasons to produce its pulse yield. By the time it is harvested, the plant becomes woody (lignified), making it less suitable to be ploughed back as succulent green manure compared to the faster-growing Cowpea or Moong.
| Crop |
Pulse Use |
Fodder Use |
Green Manure (Standard Practice) |
| Cowpea |
Yes |
Yes (Excellent) |
Yes (Fast-growing/Succulent) |
| Green Gram |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (Short-duration catch crop) |
| Pigeon Pea |
Yes |
Yes |
No (Usually too long-duration/woody) |