BSMR 736
A long-duration pigeonpea released from Badnapur, Maharashtra in 1996, valued for combined Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic resistance.
Quick facts
- Type
- Pigeonpea variety
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- About 180–185 days
- Seed rate
- About 15 kg/ha for sole cropping; around 5 kg/ha when intercropped with cotton under the documented Maharashtra production system
- Expected yield
- About 12–18 q/ha average yield under suitable production conditions
- Suitable soil
- Medium to deep, well-drained black soil and other well-drained soils suitable for long-duration pigeonpea
- Disease resistance
- Resistant to Fusarium wilt and highly resistant to sterility mosaic disease
- Release
- Released in Maharashtra in 1996 by the Agricultural Research Station, Badnapur, under Marathwada Agricultural University; now VNMKV, Parbhani
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
BSMR 736 is a long-duration, indeterminate pigeonpea variety developed at Agriculture Research Station, Badnapur, under Marathwada Agricultural University (now VNMKV, Parbhani). It was released in Maharashtra in 1996. The variety was developed from the cross ICP 7217-4-1 × No. 148 and is described as semi-spreading with green stems and branches, yellow flowers, green pods that develop faint black markings at maturity, and red to brown seeds. It was bred for the pigeonpea-growing conditions of Maharashtra and is particularly noted for combined resistance to Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease. Official variety records report an average yield of about 12–18 q/ha and maturity of approximately 180–185 days.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick BSMR 736 if your field has a history of both Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic and you can give the crop a long season. At 180–185 days it runs well past Maruti's 150–180 and Pusa Arhar 16's 120. It is resistant to wilt and highly resistant to sterility mosaic, and Marathwada farmers have grown it for about three decades, so its behaviour on black soil is well known. The yield is modest: ICPL 87119 (Asha) gives 18–25 q/ha, which is where BSMR 736's own range ends. If you want the same twin protection with a bigger yield, Asha is recommended for eight states. If only wilt troubles your field, Maruti has the stronger wilt record, but it is highly susceptible to sterility mosaic. If you must harvest early or sow wheat after the arhar, this is the wrong variety — take ICPL 87 or UPAS 120.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-June is a strong timely-sowing target after adequate monsoon rainfall; Maharashtra field research found 15 June superior to later sowing dates for seed yield
- Seed rateAbout 15 kg/ha for sole cropping; around 5 kg/ha when intercropped with cotton under the documented Maharashtra production system
- SpacingAbout 90 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants for the documented medium/long-duration production system
- Sowing methodLine sowing or dibbling is suitable. BSMR 736 is used both as a sole crop and in intercropping systems such as cotton–pigeonpea.
- IrrigationPrimarily suited to rainfed kharif production. Avoid prolonged waterlogging. Where irrigation is available, supplemental irrigation during prolonged dry spells, especially around flowering and pod development, can support yield.
- FertilizerUse the current soil-test-based pigeonpea nutrient recommendation for the locality rather than assigning a variety-specific fertilizer dose. A variety-specific NPK recommendation was not established in the primary sources reviewed.
- HarvestingUsually requires about 180–185 days according to official variety records. Harvest when most pods have matured and turned brown and the seeds have reached full maturity; dry the harvested grain adequately before storage.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Medium to deep, well-drained black soils are particularly suitable in the Maharashtra pigeonpea belt. The crop should not be kept under prolonged standing water.
- Irrigation
- Good drainage is important. Medium and deep black soils can support the crop, but prolonged waterlogging should be avoided.
Climate
- Climate
- A kharif pigeonpea adapted to the semi-arid and rainfed production environments of Maharashtra and the wider peninsular pigeonpea belt. Its long duration means timely establishment and adequate season length are important.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Fusarium wilt — resistant; this is one of the major documented strengths of BSMR 736.
- Sterility mosaic disease — highly resistant according to pigeonpea germplasm and variety literature.
- Pod borer and other pigeonpea insect pests remain important production risks; disease resistance does not eliminate the need for regular crop scouting.
Management notes
- Use BSMR 736 where both Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic are important disease risks and where a long-duration pigeonpea fits the cropping system.
- Buy healthy, certified seed from an authorised dealer. Do not sow farm-saved seed whose source you do not know.
- Maintain timely sowing after adequate monsoon rainfall; delayed sowing can reduce yield potential in this long-duration variety.
- Scout regularly for pod borer and other insect pests during flowering and pod development and follow current local integrated pest-management recommendations.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Combines resistance to Fusarium wilt and strong resistance to sterility mosaic disease.
- Established adaptation and long-term use in Maharashtra, particularly in the Marathwada pigeonpea production belt.
- Continues to appear in current institutional seed production and agricultural recommendations rather than being an obsolete historical variety.
- Suitable for both sole pigeonpea and documented intercropping systems.
Things to consider
- BSMR 736 is a long-duration variety, so it is less suitable where the available growing season is short or where an early harvest is required.
- Published yield figures vary with environment and management. The official Directorate of Pulses Development record gives an average yield range of about 12–18 q/ha; this should not be presented as a guaranteed farm yield.
- The strongest documented adaptation is Maharashtra. Local state agricultural university or KVK recommendations should take priority outside the established area.
- The variety is still present in the institutional seed system, including breeder-seed listings, but I could not verify a current nationwide retail packet listing. So no claim is made here that retail seed is readily available everywhere.
- Some older literature gives maturity around 175–180 days, while the Directorate of Pulses Development records 180–185 days. The latter is used here as the primary summary figure rather than averaging the conflicting numbers.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
Two diseases, one variety: what that is worth in Marathwada
Most pigeonpea varieties protect you against one of arhar's two big diseases, not both. Fusarium wilt kills plants outright, often in patches, around flowering and podding. Sterility mosaic leaves the plant standing green and bushy but sets almost no pods, so the loss arrives at harvest, when nothing can be done about it. BSMR 736 is resistant to the first and highly resistant to the second, and that is the whole reason it has stayed in Marathwada fields since 1996.
What this does not buy is a big yield. At 12–18 q/ha BSMR 736 sits below ICPL 87119 (Asha), which carries the same twin resistance and gives 18–25 q/ha across eight states. So the honest way to choose is by field history. If both diseases have been seen on your land and you want a variety whose behaviour on local black soil is known, BSMR 736 is the safe one. If your field is clean and you only want yield, a higher-yielding variety will pay more — and if only wilt is present, Maruti's wilt record is stronger still, as long as sterility mosaic never shows up.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Arhar (Tur / Kandi) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSMR 736this page | Fields where wilt and sterility mosaic both strike | About 180–185 days | About 12–18 q/ha average yield under suitable production conditions | Maharashtra |
| ICPL 87 (Pragati) | An early pigeonpea for double cropping in the peninsula | 110–130 days | About 11–19 q/ha in reported Indian varietal comparisons; 1.14 t/ha was the weighted mean in five years of peninsular-zone trials | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat |
| ICPL 87119 (Asha) | Both big diseases covered, with a full-season yield | About 160–200 days | 18–25 q/ha, depending on zone and management | Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu |
| Maruti (ICP 8863) | Heavy wilt pressure on black soil | 150–180 days; commercial listings commonly state about 150–160 days | About 15–16 q/ha yield potential under suitable management; older official variety tables report about 10–12 q/ha average yield, while ICRISAT/ICAR material reports roughly 1.5–1.6 t/ha potential | Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Pusa Arhar 16 | Machine harvesting, and the field free in about 120 days | ~120 days | 18–20 q/ha | Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh |
| UPAS 120 | Clearing the field in time for timely wheat | 125–150 days | About 11–15 q/ha average; 1.38–1.8 t/ha has also been reported under suitable conditions | Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Arhar (Tur / Kandi) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Arhar (Tur / Kandi) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Arhar (Tur / Kandi) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Arhar (Tur / Kandi) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Arhar (Tur / Kandi) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Arhar (Tur / Kandi) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Arhar (Tur / Kandi) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is BSMR 736 pigeonpea?
BSMR 736 is a long-duration, indeterminate pigeonpea variety developed at Badnapur in Maharashtra and released in 1996. It is particularly known for resistance to Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease.
Is BSMR 736 resistant to Fusarium wilt?
Yes. BSMR 736 is documented as resistant to Fusarium wilt and was developed for pigeonpea production environments where wilt is an important disease.
Is BSMR 736 resistant to sterility mosaic disease?
Yes. Pigeonpea literature describes BSMR 736 as highly resistant to sterility mosaic disease.
How many days does BSMR 736 take to mature?
About 180–185 days according to the Directorate of Pulses Development variety record, although maturity can vary with environment and sowing conditions.
What is the yield of BSMR 736?
The Directorate of Pulses Development records an average yield of about 12–18 q/ha. Actual farm yield depends on rainfall, soil, disease pressure, sowing date and crop management.
Where is BSMR 736 suitable?
It was released for Maharashtra and has established use in the Maharashtra pigeonpea belt, including Marathwada. Current agricultural literature also documents its use in pigeonpea trials in Karnataka and other peninsular environments.
What is the seed rate for BSMR 736?
A Maharashtra pigeonpea production table lists about 15 kg/ha for sole cropping and about 5 kg/ha when BSMR 736 is intercropped with cotton.
When should BSMR 736 be sown?
Sow around the normal onset of the monsoon, with mid-June being a strong timely-sowing target in Maharashtra. A 2024 Badnapur field study found 15 June superior to later sowing dates for seed yield.
BSMR 736 or Maruti — which one for a wilt-hit field?
Both stand up to Fusarium wilt. The difference is the second disease: BSMR 736 is highly resistant to sterility mosaic, Maruti is highly susceptible to it. If sterility mosaic has been seen in your village even once, sow BSMR 736. If wilt alone is the problem and you want a shorter crop, Maruti matures in 150–180 days against 180–185 days here. Also check the release: BSMR 736 was released for Maharashtra, Maruti for Karnataka.
Can BSMR 736 be grown as a cotton intercrop?
Yes. The Maharashtra production system it was released into uses about 5 kg/ha of seed when BSMR 736 goes in with cotton, against about 15 kg/ha when it is the sole crop. Keep the rows wide — about 90 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants — and remember the arhar is still standing long after the cotton picking starts, because it needs 180–185 days.
Will wheat fit into the field after BSMR 736?
Usually not. At 180–185 days, a mid-June sowing is ready only around mid-December, which is too late for timely wheat. If you need the field free by early November, sow a short-duration pigeonpea instead — ICPL 87 at 110–130 days or UPAS 120 at 125–150 days — and keep BSMR 736 for fields where arhar holds the ground for the full year.
Can I keep seed from my BSMR 736 crop for next year?
Yes. BSMR 736 is an open-pollinated variety, not a hybrid, so saved seed grows true to type. Arhar flowers are visited by bees and some natural crossing happens, so keep the seed plot apart from other arhar varieties. Take seed only from healthy plants that show no sterility mosaic, dry the pods fully, and store the seed dry. Test germination before sowing.
Where can I get BSMR 736 seed?
The variety is still in the institutional seed system, including breeder-seed listings. Start with the Maharashtra agricultural university, the state seed corporation or your KVK. A nationwide retail packet listing could not be verified, so ask for the variety name and lot label before you pay, and do not accept an unnamed tur packet in its place.
Sourced from: Directorate of Pulses Development — Pigeonpea variety information, VNMKV Parbhani — Official Released Varieties, VNMKV Parbhani — Research Stations and Seed Production, ICRISAT — Pigeonpea Genomics Initiative, IIPR Pulses Seed Hub — Seed Availability, NABARD — Pigeonpea seed rate and spacing in Maharashtra, 2024 Journal of Experimental Agriculture International — BSMR 736 sowing-date study, ICAR-NBSSLUP — Maharashtra contingency planning with BSMR 736. editorial policy.