Hybrid Pigeonpea Yields Jump
DELHI - Jan 29/14 - SNS -- Hybrid pigeonpea are showing dramatic yield improvements in trials, giving researchers hope that they will reach their target of 5,000 kilograms per hectare.
The current pigeonpea hybrids were developed by plant breeders and researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad. The are the first hybrid pulses which have been developed.
Hybrids were grown by farmers in five states in India this year. They include Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. They said they are seeing a significant increase in pigeonpea yields with the new hybrids. A medium-duration ICRISAT hybrid, ICPH 2740, demonstrated 38% higher yields than other local varieties.
The Review Meeting on Hybrid Pigeonpea Seed Production, held at the ICRISAT headquarters last week, brought together, farmers, seed producers, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations and scientists to formulate a road map on expansion of pigeonpea production in India.
5 MT Yield Target
During the meeting, ICRISAT said it has raised its target pigeonpea yield to five metric tons (MT) per hectare with the dual aim of improving food security and raising farm incomes.
"It is prosperity that we want for farmers. Our aim is to enable smallholder farmers to create wealth for themselves and their communities and fuel the engines of economic growth of nations. Hybrid pigeonpea technology has great potential to lift millions of farmers in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa out of the hunger trap. We are equipped with the means, science and technology and most importantly a strong will to achieve our targets and efficiently serve the interests of the agricultural community," ICRISAT Director General Dr William Dar said.
Scientists at Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural Universitys (ANGRAU) Agricultural Research Station (ARS) in Tandur of Ranga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh, reported a pigeonpea yield of nearly 3,000 kilograms per hectare in their on-station fields using the ICPH 2740 hybrid.
"We have experienced a significant increase in production and now we hope to harness the full potential of ICPH 2740 using resourceful management practices," Dr C Sudhakar, Senior Scientist, ARS-Tandur said at the gathering. Dr M V Nagesh Kumar, Principal Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Palem briefed the participants on the strategies for large scale seed production of hybrid pigeonpea.
Profit-Oriented Agriculture
Many farmers at the meeting took inspiration from Mr Gurubhagawan Reddy, a farmer from remote Vasantapuram village in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, who managed to sell his pigeonpea hybrid seed at Rs 12,000 (Approximately US $190) per 100 kg. This case study is the perfect example for IMOD (Inclusive Market-Oriented Development) strategy of ICRISAT which emphasizes on progress from subsistence agriculture to profit-oriented agriculture.
"I am extremely happy with the results. To increase the chances of cross-pollination, I have been cultivating sunflowers around my farm as suggested by ICRISAT scientists. It boosted my production and income as well," he informed the participants.
"The way forward for us at ICRISAT is to reach farmers on a larger scale and encourage them to take to pigeonpea cultivation. Pigeonpea has the potential to secure the future of global food production and hybrid technology will be the catalyst in this process," Dr KB Saxena, Principal Scientist - Pigeonpea Breeding, ICRISAT said.
Pigeonpea is one of the five mandate crops of ICRISAT (others being sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea and groundnut, and six small millets), extensively grown by resource-poor farmers in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. The activity was undertaken as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes.
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