Pigeon Pea : A Nutritious Drought-Resistant Crop

Pigeon pea better known as “kadios” in Tagalog and “kardis” in Ilocano, is a minor crop that is usually grown in backyards or some insignificant portion of the farm. Actually, however, it is one crop that has a big potential, both for small-scale and large-scale production.

Dr. William D. Dar, executive director of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), believes that pigeon pea should be promoted not only as a vegetable crop but also for other agricultural purposes. He calls it a super crop for dryland agriculture. He explained in an interview sometime back that pigeon pea is an excellent animal feed aside from being a protein-rich human food. It is also useful in increasing soil fertility, in preventing soil erosion, and in suppressing weeds in upland farms.

Of course, the main reason why pigeon pea should be produced by more farmers is its importance as nutritious food. Young pods as well as mature fresh The pod with four seeds are cooked in dishes together with seeds is pigeon pea while other vegetables. In other countries, the the other is that of soybean. dried seeds are also prepared into different food preparations like noodles, baked products and even wine, according to Dr. Dar.

Pigeon pea is an important source of protein and is consumed in big volumes in India, said Dr. Dar. In fact, although the crop is being produced in big quantities in that country, it still imports three million tons of the commodities every year. Thus, if the Philippines can produce in excess of its requirements, it could export the same to India.

Pigeon pea is one crop that will thrive even in areas where the rainy season is short and dry periods are long, like many parts in the country. It will grow even in hilly areas where many other crops will fall. Pigeon pea is drought-resistant because it is deep-rooted. Being a legume, it can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, hence enhancing soil fertility.

It is fortunate that a Filipino is the head of ICRISAT that is based in India where research studies on pigeon pea and other crops for drylands are conducted. Thanks to Dr. Dar, new high-yielding varieties have been introduced in the Philippines. A local program has been started to promote the production of this crop. Dr. Heraldo Layaoen of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City has been involved in the program.

After testing several introduced hybrid varieties, Dr. Layaoen said they have observed two to be highly suitable for Philippine conditions. One is called ICP7035 which is a perennial plant, meaning it will stay productive for several years. It produces a lot of fruiting branches resulting in high yields. The fruits come in bunches.

   The other hybrid that grows well in the country is ICP88039. This bears fruits throughout the year as it is not sensitive to the length of daylight. It is very resistant to drought because it is very deep-rooted. Seeds of these two recommended hybrid pigeon peas are now being multiplied for sale to other farmers from other parts of the country. Some farmers in Ilocos Norte are making money by producing seeds which are sold through the help of Dr. Layaoen. Rue Ramas, a livewire do-gooder from General Santos City, says she has been ordering a lot of seeds for planting from Dr. Layaoen. She distributes the seeds in Mindanao.

Other countries, China in particular, are discovering the advantages of growing pigeon pea, using hybrids produced by ICRISAT. Dr. Dar said that in 2000, China had only 5,000 hectares planted to pigeon pea. Today, the area has increased to 150,000 hectares. It is being planted even in rocky mountains, river banks and other wastelands.

According to Dr. Dar, the Chinese process the seeds into noodles, snack foods and even wine. The lcaves, on the other hand, are fed to rabbits, cattle, chickens and even fish. The young leaves are gathered and thrown into fishponds.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dar said that the growth of pigeon pea is affected by the time of planting. When the seeds are planted at the beginning of the rainy season (May and June), the plants will grow tall up to four meters. On the other hand, when it is planted in September and October, the plants will grow up to 1.5 meters only. That’s the personal experience of Dr. Dar himself in his own mango farm in San Miguel, Bulacan.

After harvesting the last fruits of the tall plants, Dr. Dar recommends that the plants he cut back to about one meter above the ground. New growth will develop for the next harvest.

While pigeon pea will grow in marginal lands, it will grow even better under ideal soil conditions like well drained loamy soils. At planting time, there should be adequate soil moisture so there will be uniform germination of the seeds.

So far, there are no disease problems observed to attack pigeon pea in the Philippines. It has been observed, however, that when the plants start to flower, leaf-eating insects are prevalent. To prevent or control insect damage, the experts recommend a weekly spraying with insecticide like Decis, Lannate and others.

Pigeon pea is one crop that is easy to produce. It does not require a big capital. A kilo of seeds for planting costs just about a hundred pesos. More farmers should take a good second look at this vegetable crop. Even urban dwellers should consider planting some in a corner of their backyard. A few plants could provide them with protein-rich pods for use in their own cooking.