First hybrid pigeonpea released

Plant breeders at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India have bred the first hybrid pigeonpea. It is now being released to farmers. This is the first time any pulse crop has been hybridized. The pigeonpea, known as ICPH8, is earlier than the present varieties. This means it escapes many diseases. Yields are 30-40% higher and it is very adaptable, standing up to drought or high moisture very well. It has performed consistently well in trials carried out in many parts of India. It has been difficult to breed hybrids because the flowers of pigeonpea, and other pulses, are self-pollinating. So the only way to achieve any genetic improvement was to find landraces that were male-sterile. Plant breeders searched through 5,000 accessions from ICRISAT's genebank. A few were found and these were used to produce a number of hybrids, of which ICPH-8 was the best. Other hybrids are also being tested as they might be suitable for different regions. Some are being tested in Kenya for use in agroforestry systems. Work is also going on to produce hybrids of the vegetable pigeonpea for cultivation in India, Africa and the Caribbean. ICRISAT Patancheru PO Andhra Pradesh 502 324 INDIA

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
Format:	News Item biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation 1992
Online Access:	https://hdl.handle.net/10568/45728 http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jcta38e/
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