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VOL. 8, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Effect of sowing time on phenological development and productivity of pulses: A review
Authors
T Jyothi, A V Nagavani, V Chandrika, A Prasanthi
Abstract
Pulses play a crucial role in ensuring
nutritional security, soil fertility improvement, and sustainable agricultural
production, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the various
agronomic practices, sowing window is a critical non-monetary factor that
governs crop exposure to prevailing weather conditions and significantly
influences phenological development and productivity of pulse crops. This
review synthesizes research findings from diverse agro-climatic regions to
elucidate the effects of sowing time on growth parameters, phenology, yield
attributes, yield, quality, nutrient uptake, agro-meteorological indices, soil
nutrient status and economics of major pulse crops such as greengram, mungbean,
blackgram, chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and horsegram. The reviewed studies
consistently demonstrate that timely or optimum sowing ensures better
synchronization of crop growth stages with favourable temperature, radiation
and moisture regimes, resulting in enhanced plant height, leaf area index, dry
matter accumulation, nodulation and improved reproductive efficiency. Optimum
sowing windows also promoted favourable agro-climatic indices such as growing
degree days, photo-thermal units and helio-thermal units, thereby improving
yield attributes including pods plant-1, seeds pod-1,
test weight and ultimately seed and haulm yields. In contrast, delayed sowing
often exposed crops to terminal heat stress, shortened growth duration and
suboptimal thermal environments, leading to reduced productivity and economic
returns. Timely sowing was also associated with improved nutrient uptake
efficiency and, in some cases, better post-harvest soil nutrient status.
Overall, the review highlights that identification and adoption of
location-specific optimum sowing windows, integrated with weather-based
planning and varietal suitability, can serve as a climate-smart strategy to
enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability of pulse-based cropping
systems.
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Pages:151-160
How to cite this article:
T Jyothi, A V Nagavani, V Chandrika, A Prasanthi "Effect of sowing time on phenological development and productivity of pulses: A review". International Journal of Agriculture and Plant Science, Vol 8, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 151-160
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