Pigeon pea

:Cajanus cajan syn. Cajanus indicus

INTRODUCTIO
N
▶ Common Name: Pigeon Pea, Congo Pea, Red Gram,
Arhar.
▶ Botanical Name: Cajanus cajan syn. Cajanus indicus
▶ Family: Fabaceae
IMPORTANCE
▶ Uses:
▶ Food; seeds are 25% protein, can be eaten fresh

or as split dried peas, are used for dhal in

contain 5 times more Vitamin A and C than
India,
peas.
green The leaves and young shoots can be
cooked,
eaten they are fibrous and have a strong
odour.
spicy
▶ Animal Fodder; an excellent feed for cattle,
pigsand
▶ poultry.
Green Manure; incorporate the plants as
theyflower.
▶ Mulch production; can be cut many times in
a season.
▶ Alley cropping; provides nitrogen, habitat and
soilstabilisation.
▶ Windbreaks; suitable as a shelterbelt
vegetable
around
GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION
▶ The major countries growing pegeonpea are
India, Uganda, Kenya, West Indies, Puerto
Rico, Dominican Republic in C aribban region
and Burma.
▶ In India, main region cultivated in
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra
Pradesh.
 ORIGI
N
▶ PIGEON PEA ORGINATED IN INDIA AS IS MADE LIKELY BYTHE PRESENC E
OF WILD RELATIVES.

▶ AUSTRALIA WITH 15 WILD SPECIES OF WHICH 13 ARE ENDEMIC, IS

ANOTHER CENTER OF DIVERSITY
 species
▶ Cajanus species( Van Der Maesen, 1990) has 32
species:(belowing is 6 main species)
▶

▶ Cajanus acutifolius acutifolia

▶ C. albicans albicans
▶ C. cromaticus
▶ C. cajan
▶ C. cajanifolius
▶ C. cinereus
BOTANY

▶ Root system
▶ Root system of pigeon pea consists of a
central tap root with numerous lateral
and secondary branches.
The length of the lateral roots differs with
the variety; usually tall, upright varieties
produce longer and more deeply
penetrating roots, whereas spreading
types produce shallower, more
spreading and deeper roots.
BOTA..

▶ Leaves
▶ Leaves are trifoliately compound; central leaflet
longer than lateral ones.
The leaflets are entire and densely silky on the
lower surface. Lamina hairy with the under
surface grayish due to dense hairs. The intensity
of the green color of the leaves differs with the
variety.
The total length of the leaf, as also the size, shape
and texture of leaflets also differ with the
varieties.
 BOTA..
▶ Inflorescence
▶ The inflorescence is an axillary raceme often forming a terminal panicle.

The size of inflorescence varies in different types. The flowers are distinctly
papallionaceous. In the late maturing varieties, the flowers are usually grouped
together at the ends of the branches, but in early maturing varieties, the flowers
are produced at several points along the branches. Usually flowers open at a
time on the same inflorescence, but the process of flowering continuous in
each plant almost up to the time of harvest. The flowers are self pollinated,
pollination takes place before the flowers open. Cross fertilization may also
o c cur to some extent.
BOTA..

▶ Pods
▶ The fruit of pigeon pea is a pod.
vary in length, width and nature
These
markings.
of The length varies from 5
10
to c entimeter, width from 0.6 to
centimeter.
0.9 The pods vary in
from
color green to dark brown. In
types,
some they are broad and
with their tips pointing
pendant
while in others they are quiet
downwards
The seed with in the pod may vary
erect.
number,
in but there are usually four
five in each pod in late
to
varieties
maturing and two to three in
maturing
early
varieties.
BOTA..

▶ Seeds
▶ Seeds are differing in great deal in size, shape
and color. Seeds are round or lens shaped, the
color of the seeds coat being dirty white to
silver white, light brown to chestnut brown,
dark mottled brown and pinkish black and the
cotyledons yellow colored.
Floral Characteristics
▶ Flower is the similar in structure to that of other
legums
▶ Size of the inflorescence varies in different types and
there may be many as 10 flowers in each
inflorescence
▶ Usually two flowers open at the a time on the same
inflorescence
Flower

▶ Individual flower consist of a calyx with five

sepals and coralla with a standard petal, two
wings petals, and a keel petals.
▶ There are 10 stamens: 9 fused in a column and
1 free.
▶ One stigma was coverd of central 9
stamens in column.
ANTHESI
S
▶ Flower start opening early in the morning in the
summer and by noon during winter,continuous
opening throughout the day. The length of time
flowers remain open is influenced by the
weather.
pollination

▶ Stigma is receptive pollen before anthesis

and pollination can be done immediately
after emasculation.
▶ Pollen in buds remained viable up to 42 hours
at room temprate (25-28oc, 50.6% humidity)
and up to 11 days in the refrigerator( 10o c,
37.5% humidity).
Selfing techniques

▶ Bagging of young bud

▶ Manual transfer of freshly collected pollen on stigmas
of flowers of the same plant
Crossing techniques

▶Includes
▶Hand emasculation
▶Pollen collection
▶Artificial pollination
Emasculation

▶ Removal of anthers from flower

▶ Use hand eliminate a half of bud
▶ Use forcep remove the anther in
stamens
Pollen collection
& pollination
▶ Collect pollen from the male parent during
early morning.
▶ Pollinate on the stigma of emasculated flower
▶ Bag the pollinated flower to prevent out
crossing