Transplanted Pigeonpea along with
Climate-Resilient Technology for
Sustainable Pigeonpea Production

Key Features & Benefits

• The seedling transplanting method is emerging as a climate-resilient technology (CRT) and has substantial potential to increase pigeonpea productivity. The transplanting method of pigeonpea enables farmers to grow the crop in protrays in advance and help in the timely sowing of pigeonpea by utilizing the available resources, especially catching the benefit of first rainwater.

Where It Works and Where It Can Work

The transplanted pigeonpea technology is suitable particularly in the regions affected due to erratic rainfall pattern and inappropriate agronomic management practices. The biofortified pearl millet variety and its hybrids could be grown in similar agroecologies in West and Central African countries, as well as ESA countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Namibia.

The transplanted pigeonpea technology would be effective in harnessing the potentiality of rainfed pigeonpea at landscape level in Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, where pigeonpea is primarily grown as rainfed crop.

Along with landform management viz., broad bed furrows and raised bed, the transplanted pigeonpea technology could also be practiced in the regions with varying annual rainfall.

Evidence & Impact

The transplanted pigeonpea technology improved the productivity by 20-30% and resource use efficiency up to 30% in the States like Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha.

In high rainfall receiving states like Odisha, the transplanted pigeonpea along with landform management resulted in 50-60% increase in productivity.

Scalability & Adoption Support

The biofortified pearl millet cultivars provide more than 60% higher iron (Fe) than non-biofortified cultivars, potentially benefiting millions of people. Consumers and farmers easily accept a biofortified cultivar with improved mineral content, as it does not require a change in cultivation practices or dietary habits.

However, adaptive trials are necessary to identify suitable, high-yielding varieties that farmers and consumers prefer, tailored to local conditions. Ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat products will also help scale production.

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