Black Gram and Tur Pulse Cultivation in Beed

Beed district's black cotton soil areas support traditional pulse cultivation alongside commercial crops. Black gram (Vigna mungo, locally known as udid) and tur (pigeon pea) are grown as monsoon-season crops both for household food security and for sale. Udid is used in making urad dal, papads (crispy lentil wafers), and idli-dosa batter; it is a daily cooking essential in Maharashtra. Traditional farming systems in Beed intercropped cereals with pulses and oilseeds in complex polycultures that improved soil health and minimised complete crop failure risk. The Maharashtra government's Pulse and Oilseed Mission promotes pulse cultivation under MSP procurement, ensuring farmers have a price floor. Women in Beed's farming households traditionally process tur and udid into dal using wooden mortars and stone mills, a practice that maintains fresh flavour compared to commercial processed dal.