Grain Legumes and Green Manures for Soil Fertility in ... - cimmyt

The indeterminate varieties that can be tried are
rCPL 87091, ICEAP 00721 and ICEAP 00718. The
indeterminate varieties however need to be planted
early if they are to reach full maturity under the low
rainfall conditions in Matabeleland.
Woody biomass (with leaves dropped) yield can be
used as a rough indicator of the fodder yield potential
of the pigeonpea varieties. Promising determinates
are ICEAP00394 and ICEAP 00360. The indeterminate
varieties that can be tried include ICEAP
00728 and ICEAP 00722. These recommendations
are tentative because several abnormalities occurred
during the 2001/2002 season at Matopos where the
trials were carried out.
The 2001/2002 rainy season had poorly distributed
rain. Therefore it is difficult to predict what would
have happened under a normal season. Pigeonpea
is known to be prone to Fusarium wilt but the disease
was not observed during the season. Some IC­
RISAT lines are tolerant to the disease, like ICP 9145
and ICEAP 40 which is commercially grown in Malawi.
Reco m mendations
This trial was able to give information about the
short duration pigeopnpea varieties that can be
grown in Matabeleland. There is need to determine
how the crops perform in a more normal season in
which rainfall is evenly distributed. There is also
need to further expand the studies to include soil
fertility benefits, fodder yield and other benefits
such as the use as firewood. There is also need to
explore the market for the crop in Matabeleland.
Tsholotsho farmers were shown the crop and they
expressed an interest to grow it, but only if a market
for the crop could be found. The drive to promote
pigeonpea should also include showing the farmer!,
how to utilize it as a food crop.
References
Ozowela, B., Holden, S.T., 1993. The potential of
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Kimani, P.M., Benzioni, A., and M. Ventura 1994.
Genetic variation in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan
(L.) Mill sp.) in response to successive cycles of
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Karachi, M., and Zengo, M., 1998. Legume forages
from pigeonpea, leucaena and sesbania as supplements
to natural pastures for goat production
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Kollipara, K.P., L. Singh and T. Hymowitz 1993. Genetic
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Mapfumo, P., Mpepereki, S., and Mafongoya, P.,
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Reddy, M. V. Nene, Y. L., Raju, T. N., Kannaiyan, J.,
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Grain legumes and Green Manures for Soil Fertility in Southern Africa