PIGEONPEA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture)
Context: According to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) a new fast-breeding protocol is likely to make it easier for scientists to develop better quality varieties of the pigeonpea crop at a faster rate.
Pigeonpea
- About: It is an important legume crop and protein-rich food primarily consumed as dal in India.
- Scientific name: Cajanus cajan
- Geographic Distribution: Predominantly cultivated in semi-arid regions of India, known as arhar or tur.
- Major Producing States: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
- Climatic Conditions:
oRain: Requires 600-650mm annual rainfall with moist conditions for initial weeks and dry conditions during flowering.
oTemperature: Suitable range is 26°C to 30°C in the rainy season and 17°C to 22°C post-rainy.
oSoil: Suitable for all types, especially sandy loam or loam soil.
- Environmental Factors: Sensitive to low radiation during pod development, flowering during monsoon or cloudy weather leads to poor pod formation.
- Agricultural Practices: Commonly intercropped with various crops, estimated 80-90% in India.
- Diseases: Major diseases include Wilt, Sterility mosaic disease, Phytophthora blight, Alternaria blight, and Powdery mildew.
- Health Benefits: Low glycemic index, rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin A, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
New Protocol of ICRISAT
- Reduced Breeding Cycle
oTraditional Duration: Developing a new pigeon pea variety typically takes around 13 years.
oAccelerated Timeline: The new protocol reduces the breeding cycle to 2-4 years.
oFactors Influencing Duration: The longer duration of pigeon pea crops is attributed to its short-day nature, photosensitivity, and seasonal specificity.
- Ideal Conditions for Speed Breeding
oOptimal Photoperiod: A photoperiod of 13 h: 8 h: 13 h at vegetative: flowering: pod filling stages is recommended.
oLight Spectrum Importance: Broad spectrum light and far-red wavelength light are crucial for early crop establishment and flowering onset.
oChallenges of Natural Conditions: Under natural conditions, pigeon pea takes about four months to flower if sown in June, resulting in unwanted biomass accumulation.
Impact on Pulse Production
- Enhanced Self-Reliance: The new protocol will enhance self-reliance in pulse production, especially benefiting countries like India, Myanmar, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
- Past Successes: ICRISAT has previously achieved success in speed breeding of other crops such as wheat, barley, rice, cowpea, soybean, and amaranth, indicating the potential for widespread impact.
