Pigeon Pea is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae. It is an important legume crop of rainfed agriculture in the semiarid tropics. its seeds have become a common food grain as it serves both as a food crop (dried peas, flour, or green vegetable peas) and a forage/cover crop. In combination with cereals, pigeon peas make a well-balanced human food.
Varieties
KAT60/8, KAT 81/3/3, KAT 777, ICPL 89091, Mbaazi 1, Mbaazi 2, Mbaazi 3 and local varieties.
Ecological requirements
Altitude: 0-2000m above sea level
Rainfall: 600-1000mm per annum
Temperature: 18-380C
Soils: Well drained, deep soils with PH ranging from 5.0-7.0
Land preparation
Should be done before the onset of rains, harrow the soil clods to medium tilth desirable for pea growing.
Planting
Should coincide with onset of rains. Spacing will depend on the variety in question and cropping system.
Monocropping: KAT 60/8- space at 75cm by 50cm, KAT 81/3/3 and KAT 777- space at 90cm by 50cm, ICPL 89091- space at 50cm by 10cm, Mbaazi 1- space at 50cm by 10cm, Mbaazi 2- space at 100cm by 50cm, at high altitudes the spacing should be reduced to 20-30cm, space local varieties at 120cm by 60cm
Intercropping: KAT 60/8, KAT 777, KAT 81/3/3- space at 90cm between 2 rows of maize or sorghum.
Weeding
Keep the field weed free; 2-3 weeding should be done depending on the weed status in the field.
Pest management
Flower thrips: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Aphids: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Pod borers: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
African boll worm: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Legume pod borer: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Lima pod bean borer: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Pod sucking bugs: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Giant stink bug: Spray using suitable insecticide eg karate
Bruchid: Clean stores properly before storage, dust grains with super actellic 50gms per 90kg bag.
Disease management
Powdery mildew: Practice crop rotations, plant resistant varieties, spray using fungicides such as score or ortiva.
Leaf spot: Practice crop rotation.
Pod spot: Practice crop rotation.
Fusarium wilt: Observe field hygiene, practice crop rotation, and rogue infected plants
Harvesting
Harvest when 95% of the pods dry and turn brown. Dry the seeds in the sun and dust with actellic super before storage.