Why horse gram is a neglected climate-resilient crop & nutritional powerhouse

Horse gram is a versatile pulse crop that can thrive in rainfed and semi-arid conditions, making it a valuable asset for small-scale farmers. Its resilience to harsh weather and ability to yield in low-input environments can significantly improve income, food security and nutritional well-being in rural communities.

Lalita Sanabasia, a 71-year-old farmer from Malkangiri district in Southern Odisha, is a testament to the enduring value of traditional farming practices. On her two-acre upland farm, she cultivates a diverse array of crops, including millets, pulses, oilseeds, cereals, tubers and vegetables, using the mixed and intercropping system of farming known as ‘dangar chash’. This sustainable approach has been a cornerstone of life in her village, Mutluguda, for generations, preserving agrobiodiversity and revitalising the local landscape.

Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) locally known as kulath is a staple pulse crop cultivated by tribal communities in Malkangiri. Beside food, kulath is also a cheap source of fodder, fuel and green manure for local communities.

This type of farming ensures better growth and development of lower crop canopy and pods in horse gram, she added. 

Maina Gollari, 45, another farmer from Mutluguda, explained that kulath cannot stand on its own as it has a weak stem and forms a dense mat with a height up to 60 centimetres. But if kulath is cultivated along with other crops, it may climb on the companion species to a height over 100 cm.

After harvesting panicles, the stem of finger millets provide support for growing horse gram. In this way, farmers avoid the rotting of stems, leaves and pods of horse gram during rain. 

“Growing horse gram with companion crops significantly improves sunlight penetration,” said Soumya Ranjan Mohanty, who works with Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), in Malkangiri. Being a leguminous crop, horse gram adds nitrogen to the soil and thus increases soil fertility.

Intercropping maize with horse gram reduces labour cost for de-weeding. This is because horse gram naturally suppresses weed growth, he explained. WASSAN promotes rainfed agriculture and conservation of landraces in Odisha’s tribal populated districts. 

Climate resilient crop

Horse gram has drought-resistant capacity and can withstand prolonged dry spells. It is generally grown in sub-humid to semi-arid climate with annual rainfall 300-600 milimetres, while as a dry land crop it can survive with less than 30 cm rainfall up to an elevation of 1,800 mm from mean sea level.

Horse gram also enriches the soil organic carbon content because it is a deciduous crop that supports the growth of the succeeding crop. However, it does not tolerate frost and waterlogging conditions. 

“Horse gram has antioxidant and osmolyte biosynthesis qualities which makes it a sturdy crop to thrive in extreme heat and long periods of drought,” said Sushanta Sekhar Choudhury, programme manager-landraces at WASSAN, Bhubaneswar. It has a dual function protein that exhibits both lectin- and lipoxygenase-like functions. This enhances pests and pathogens resistance characteristics of horse gram, he explained. 

Multiple health benefits

In addition to its climate-resilient characteristics, horse gram is a low-cost pulse loaded with high protein. It has low fat and is blessed with dietary fibre, amino acids, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, vitamin C and phytochemicals. It has a long history as traditional medicine to cure many ailments in India.

According to Charak Samhita, a Sanskrit text on ayurveda, horse gram is useful for curing piles, hiccups, abdominal lump, bronchial asthma, kidney stones, leukoderma and regulating perspiration. Due to the presence of beneficial bioactive compounds, horse gram possesses anti-diabetic and anti-ulcer qualities and helps in controlling obesity. 

Tribals in Odisha have traditionally practiced a method of soaking horse gram overnight before cooking. This practice offers several advantages, including improved nutritional quality and cooking characteristics. By cooking horse gram on low heat using a slow-cooking method, the trypsin inhibitor present in the grain can be effectively removed. This makes the cooked horse gram more digestible, enhancing its nutritional benefits.

A culinary heritage

Horse gram is a staple in Indian cuisine, known by various names across different regions: Kurti-Kalai in Bengali, Kollu in Tamil, Ullavallu in Telugu, Kolatha in Odia, Muthira in Malayalam and Kulattha in Sanskrit.

Archaeological evidence suggests that horse gram has been consumed in India since 2000 BC, making it a culinary heritage with a deep-rooted history. 

The cultivation of horse gram is predominantly concentrated in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. According to the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, the total area under horse gram cultivation in India is approximately 507,000 hectares, producing 262,000 tonnes with a productivity of 516 kilograms per hectare.

Areas that need attention

Horse gram, an ancient and often underutilised crop, holds immense potential for preserving genetic resources and strengthening farmers' resilience to changing climate. Researchers believe that this nutritious and climate-resilient crop can significantly contribute to food and nutritional security. 

To fully unlock the potential of horse gram, Choudhury suggests conducting further studies on its chemoprofile, pharmacology, biological evaluation, toxicological consequences, health-promoting aspects and phytochemicals. Such research will provide valuable insights into the crop's properties and enable its more effective utilisation.