FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Sterility mosaic disease resistant pigeon pea
AGRICULTURE CORRESPONDENT
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This variety is suitable for growing in dry regions with erratic rainfall.
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DISEASE RESISTANT: Pod bearing plant. Inset: vegetable pods. — Photo: ICRISAT
SCIENTISTS AT the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru in Andhra Pradesh, have identified an improved variety of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) with built-in resistance to sterility mosaic disease (SMD). The farmers in Karnataka released this high yielding variety for commercial cultivation recently.
Green plague
Pigeon pea, also known as red gram and arhar, is a major pulse crop of India. Karnataka, one of the largest producers of pigeon pea, is a hotspot of pigeon pea sterility mosaic virus (PPSMV) infection, which results in SMD, which is also dubbed the `green plague' because of its destructive nature. The virus infected plants fail to produce flowers and therefore bear no pods.
"A severe strain of PPSMV is prevalent in southern Karnataka, and it can overcome the field resistance in most of the pigeon pea varieties," says Dr. P. Lava Kumar, virologist at ICRISAT. The new variety ICP 7035 has been found to be immune to the virus infection and resistant to its severe strains.
By cultivating this variety farmers can prevent the build-up of SMD inoculums during the cropping and off-seasons and effectively manage the spread of the disease in the long run. This variety is also tolerant to fusarium wilt and alternaria blight, according to him.
"ICRISAT researchers identified ICP 7035 in 1973 from Bedaghat near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. It is a medium to long-duration variety. It is suitable as a vegetable as well as for dhal. It has excellent resistance to sterility mosaic and the other major pigeon pea diseases in India," says Dr. K. B. Saxena, Principal Scientist, ICRISAT.
Each plant of this variety produces 90 to 110 pods containing about five seeds. Fresh seeds are bold (9 to 12 mm in diameter) and are ideally suitable for cooking as a vegetable. The variety has recorded green pod yields ranging between 4,500 kg and 5,200 kg per hectare in irrigated conditions. Grain yield ranges from 1,200 kg to 1,600 kg per hectare.
The average weight of hundred grains is 18 g. Edible portion of dried grains contains 19.6 per cent protein, 27.4 per cent dietary fibres and 33 per cent starch. The grains are a rich source of micronutrient such as copper (0.1 per cent), magnesium (0.12 per cent), manganese (0.2 per cent), calcium (0.15 per cent), iron (0.4 per cent) and phosphorus (0.11 per cent).
Substitute for green peas
Pigeon pea is used as a substitute for green peas, and cooked as vegetable in Gujarat and Karnataka. "If the vegetable-type pigeon pea is grown in peri-urban areas, the returns from the crop are quite handsome.
For use as a vegetable, the green pods of pigeon pea are picked before maturity, about 25 to 30 days after flowering. After a few rounds of harvesting of the green pods, the remaining pods are allowed to mature to form seeds for the next season and also for dhal purpose.
This variety was extensively field tested in research stations and farmers' fields, and its performance has been rated high.
The variety responds well to irrigation and nutrient management. About 25 kg of seeds are needed to cover a hectare at spacing of 20 cm by 60 cm. The crop can stand protracted dry spells and needs minimal care to protect against insect pests.
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