Arid Pulses for Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Production Constraints, Adaptive Physiology, and Sustainable Intensification
Keywords:
Dryland agriculture, pulse crops, drought–heat interaction, yield stability, nitrogen fixation trade-offs, climate resilienceAbstract
Arid and semi-arid regions are expanding globally under climate change, yet crop improvement and agronomic research remain disproportionately focused on irrigated, high-input systems. Pulses adapted to dry environments are moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), mung bean (Vigna radiata), and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) are widely promoted as climate-resilient crops due to their drought tolerance and biological nitrogen fixation. Despite this, yields of arid pulses have stagnated for decades, and their on-farm performance remains highly variable. This review critically examines the paradox of high stress tolerance but low and unstable productivity in arid pulses. Rather than a crop-wise description, we synthesize evidence across species to analyze physiological thresholds, reproductive vulnerabilities, nitrogen fixation trade-offs, and agronomic mismatches that constrain yield formation under arid conditions. We further evaluate the role of arid pulses in dryland cropping systems, soil health, and climate adaptation, highlighting where system-level benefits mask crop-level yield penalties. We argue that the primary limitation of arid pulses is not genetic inadequacy but the disconnect between survival-oriented traits and sink development under combined drought and heat stress. The review concludes by identifying priority research directions centered on thresholdbased physiology, trait-focused breeding under realistic field stress, and longterm system experiments necessary to unlock the productivity potential of arid pulses in climate-resilient agriculture.
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