Pigeonpea a new grain legume

Pigeonpea is an important grain legume grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It ranks fifth in production when compared with other grains such as soybeans, peas, chickpeas and peanuts. Traditional varieties from Puerto Rico and India take 175 to 280 days so they failed to produce pods before frost in November December in Tifton. During 1988 to 1992 sixty early and medium maturing pigeonpea breeding lines from the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) were evaluated in Tifton by UGA scientists to find suitable lines for Georgia and the Southeast. Six breeding lines, which produced more than 3,500 pounds per acre in harvest before frost, were selected for further evaluations. Finally, only two lines (GA-1 and GA-2) had all the qualities needed to successfully produce a crop in Georgia. During 1993 through 2004 GA-1 and GA-2 pigeonpeas were produced in Georgia. Yields ranged from 1,500 lb/A on marginal land to 4,500 lb/A on productive land. These two cultivars are highly tolerant to drought, so irrigation is not essential to produce pigeonpeas. Low production costs and high quality grain make pigeonpeas a potential new crop for Georgia farmers. Application for release of GA-1 and GA-2 pigeon pea cultivars have been made and seed of these will be available for production in 2007 growing season.