Safer 'Khesri' Pulse to Hit Markets Soon, Offering Drought-Resistant Nutrition

Addressing a gathering of farmers, Chouhan said that a new, less harmful variety of 'tiwra' would soon be introduced in the market.

Tiwra was widely used in India, but later it was banned as it triggers lathyrism disease among humans.

Addressing a gathering of scientists, farmers, and agriculture ministers of various states here on Saturday, the Union Minister also said the Central government has plans to open new 1,000 dal mills. Of them, 55 will come up in Madhya Pradesh.

He said the Agriculture Department has asked scientists and officers to move into the field instead of sitting in offices.

He reiterated the Central government's commitment to procure pulses at minimum support prices; pigeon pea (tur) at Rs 8,000 per quintal, urad at Rs 7,800 per quintal, masoor at Rs 7,000 per quintal and chana at Rs 5,875.

"We will procure cent per cent pulses from farmers," he said.

He asked farmers to grow pulses without any worries. He further said the price difference scheme will continue for these commodities as it was offered on soybean, and Madhya Pradesh has taken full benefit of it.

He urged farmers to grow more pulses (dal).

"We are experimenting to extract pulse protein from varieties so that farmers can get more benefit," Chouhan said.

ICAR scientists are developing safer varieties with significantly reduced levels of the neurotoxin, also called BOAA, which causes neurolathyrism, a neurological disease leading to paralysis of the lower limbs (spastic paraparesis) from prolonged consumption. This toxin has historically been linked to neurolathyrism, a paralytic disorder, prompting a ban on the sale and storage of Khesri in India since 1961.

Efforts focus on replacing traditional high-toxin varieties with low-ODAP alternatives suitable for human consumption.

Key varieties released through ICAR collaborations with state agricultural universities include Ratan, Prateek, and Mahateora. These have ODAP content ranging from 0.07 per cent to 0.1 per cent, well below levels considered risky, with yields up to 1.5 to 1.6 tonnes per hectare in suitable zones like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Odisha.

The journey began with early successes such as Pusa-24 from IARI, which had around 0.2 per cent ODAP and served as a base for further breeding.

Researchers employed conventional hybridisation, tissue culture, and somaclonal variation to create lines like Ratan from Pusa-24 variants.

"Ongoing work explores genetic modification, including incorporating genes from Pseudomonas bacteria to neutralise the toxin entirely," sources in the Agriculture Department said.

Current studies address environmental factors, as ODAP levels can rise under abiotic stresses like drought.

Multi-location trials test low-toxin lines for stability across diverse conditions.

Recent research from 2023 to 2025 has optimised 'khesri' for rice-fallow systems in eastern India, particularly Bihar, to boost pulse production in underutilised lands post-rice harvest.

Khesri earns its nickname as the "poor man's pulse" or "insurance crop" due to its remarkable resilience in severe drought, waterlogging, and infertile soils where other crops fail.

It offers high protein content, quick maturity in about 125 days, and serves dual purposes as food and fodder.

While low-toxin varieties like 'ratan' and 'prateek' are promoted for cultivation, formal widespread approval for commercial sale remains under review by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

- IANS