Accomplishments and challenges of pigeonpea breeding research in India

Abstract

igeonpea [ Cajanus cajan (L. ) Millsp. ] is a prot ein­rich pulse crop which can grow well under soil moist ure limit ed environment s. The crop can play a signif icant role in meet ing t he challenges of global f ood securit y under t he looming t hreat s of climat e change, soil degradat ion and rising product ion cost s. This would be possible t hrough f ast t rack breeding of new cult ivars wit h high and st able perf ormances. This paper reviews t he achievement s of pigeonpea breeding research and suggest s t he growt h t raject ory f or f ut ure programmes relat ed t o breeding of high yielding pure line and hybrid cult ivars. I n t he past f ew decades, t hree pigeonpea breeding milest ones have made t heir mark. These include development of (i) medium mat uring disease resist ant pigeonpea cult ivars f or great er yield and st abilit y, (ii) high yielding early mat uring pigeonpea cult ivars f or area expansion involving new product ion niches, and (iii) a t rend set t ing hybrid breeding t echnology f or breaking t he decades­old low yield plat eau. These innovat ions are showing t heir posit ive impact on pigeonpea product ion and product ivit y and hold promise f or achieving nut rit ional securit y of masses in t he count ry