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The Pigeon Pea probably originated in tropical Africa but is now popular in SE Asia, the Caribbean, east and west Africa and the tropics of the U.S. It is a shrubby, drought-tolerant, fast-growing legume with a long tap root and a mass of fibrous roots. It can grow up to 4 m (13 ft) in height but is not tolerant to low temperatures or frost.

Uses

The value of raising Pigeon Peas is that they will produce a vegetable crop of green peas in edible pods as well as a pulse (dry bean) when other garden plants won’t. It also functions as a nitrogen-fixing cover/forage crop, as erosion control, as shade for other vegetables and herbs and the dry stalks can be burned or used as thatch or in weaving baskets.



  1. Pigeon pea is a nitrogen-fixing, perennial shrub, growing to 4 m in height, that produces green or dry seed in seasonally dry climates. Pigeon peas are adaptable to many soil types and are used as a dry pea, green vegetable, fodder, fuelwood, green manure or cover crop.
  2. Abstract,International Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 2017 The study examined the effects of varying planting distances on seed yield and proximate composition (crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extractives (EE), ash and nitrogen free extractives (NFE) of seeds of...
  3. Pigeonpea,Cajanus cajan, is a perennial shrub in the family Fabaceae grown for its edible pods and seeds. Pigeonpea is a highly branched shrub with a woody base, slender stems and trifoliate leaves. The plant leaflets are oblong or elliptical in shape and the leaves are alternate and arranged...
  4. Key Resource 1990-01-01 I often tell folks that ECHO specializes in growing food under difficult conditions. The pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan, is a prime example of a tough but nutritious plant for just such cases. This article is directed toward two audiences. For some of you, pigeon pea is already an important crop. You...
  5. 2021-01-20 Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a multi-use legume well suited to rainfed agriculture in hot, dry areas. Pigeon pea plants grow into erect (1-4 m tall) shrubsthat can live up to five years, though pigeon pea is usually grown for only one or two years. Edible, nutritious seeds, produced in pods, can...
  6. 1992-07-19 We all know that legumes such as these two plants add nitrogen to the soil. Now scientists at ICRISAT in India have shown that they make available more phosphates. They do not add phosphate to the soil, but rather break up phosphate compounds in such a manner that phosphate that was already...
  7. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a tropical legume native to South Asia. Its high protein content and adaptability to arid environments have made it an important food crop across sub-Saharan Africa. Pigeon pea is a genetically diverse crop with several varieties that differ in time to maturity and...
  8. Abstract,Journal of Functional and Environmental Botany, 2011 Pigeonpea is a tropical grain legume grown mainly in India. Though largely considered an orphan crop, it has a huge untapped potential for improvement both in quantity and quality of production in India. More than any other legume...
  9. 2017-02-07 Pigeon pea is an important green manure/cover crop with multiple agronomic and market impacts for small farmers, and fits ideally in a conservation agriculture system. Presenter : Said Silim has recently retired from a distinguished career in international development from ICRISAT, and helped to...
  10. 2017-02-07 Pigeon pea is an important green manure/cover crop with multiple agronomic and market impacts for small farmers, and fits ideally in a conservation agriculture system. Kilimo Markets integrates value chains through enhancing production, inputs supply chains especially seed for which it is...
  11. 1996-01-19 This publication lists the pathogens and locations where they are distributed for chickpeas and pigeonpeas.
  12. 2012-01-20 192 pages, illustrated, photos Information Bulletin no. 34
  13. Access Agriculture Training Video Legumes like pigeon peas take nitrogen from the air and deposit it into the soil. When pigeon peas are intercropped the root nodules release valuable nitrogen to the other crop. Any roots, leaves or stems of the pigeon pea plant that stay in the field also help...
  14. 1982-01-01 This publication contains the major aspects of pigeonpeas production. It has been prepared as part of a program to study Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Food Production in the Tropics.
  15. 2007-01-01 This notebook includes information reprinted from the ICRISAT's monthly newsletter, SATrends. 1 notesbook, various sections, illustrated
  16. 2012-01-20 This bulletin provides information on the causal agents, distribution, economic imporance, symptons, epidemiology, and management of major diseases of pigeonpea. The test is supplemented with color photographs of disease symptoms and a diagnostic key is included to facilitate identification....
  17. Abstract, 2012, International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry The economics of production and profitability of intercropped pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp] genotypes with maize [Zea mays L.] and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were studied in two separate field experiments in 2007...
  18. Pigeon pea is an important green manure-cover crop with multiple agronomic and market impacts for small farmers, and fits ideally in a conservation agriculture system. Presenter : Said Silim has recently retired from a distinguished career in international development from ICRISAT, and helped to...
  19. 1991-01-19 Phosphorus deficiency is a major constraint to legume production in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in acid soils. Responses of chickpea and pigeonpea to phosphorus in South Asia on predominantly neutral to alkaline soils, however, have been less than expected even when standard...
  20. 2015-09-20 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants of Bangladesh. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every country are very...
  21. Edible Portion:Seeds, Leaves, Pods, Sprouts, Vegetable An upright perennial shrubby legume. It lives for 3-4 years. They can be up to about 4 m tall and spreads to 1.5 m wide. Thestem is erect and branching. It has a bushy appearance. It has a strong deep taproot. The root nodules are round and...

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