Seedling Transplanting Protocols for Sustainable Pigeonpea Production in Semi-Arid Tropics
2025
Sawargaonkar, G L | Kamdi, P J | Khopade, R | Savan, R | Kale, S | Pasumarthi, R | Singh, R
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a protein-rich leguminous crop that fits well in diverse cropping systems and contributes significantly in enhancing soil fertility and nutrient cycling. Pigeonpea is grown in 82 countries worldwide, covering a total area of 5.4 mha and yielding 4.49 mt annually. India occupies 90% of the global pigeonpea cultivation area (4.53 mha) and produces 85% of the total output (3.89 mt of production). Despite the large area under cultivation, its national productivity is very low i.e., 850-900 kg ha-1, primarily due to non-adoption of good agronomic management practices and suitable genotypes. To address these challenges, ICRISAT’s long-term strategic research has demonstrated that transplanting pigeonpea (3-4 week seedlings raised in a nursery), using region-specific genotypes, effective planting geometry, and suitable landform management practices can achieve higher pigeonpea productivity on a sustainable basis. The research findings confirm that transplanted pigeonpea is a potential climate-resilient technology that enhances early crop establishment, optimises water use, and increases system productivity by 20-38% in rainfed agro-ecosystems.
Show more [+] Less [-]Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics