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Pigeonpea revolution in Eastern and Southern Africa- A success story
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Pigeonpea revolution in Eastern and Southern Africa- A success story

  1. Pigeonpea Revolution in Eastern and Southern Africa-A Success Story Sep 2010 Introduction Since ICRISAT’s inception in 1972,the pigeonpea area in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) has doubled and productivity increased about 39%. The area and yield trends are expected to rise to meet the growing domestic and international market demands. ESA farmers love pigeonpea for many reasons – tolerance to drought, important source of protein for the family,vital source of scarce cash, and provider of fodder for livestock.Farmers have evolved elaborate intercropping systems allowing them to plant pigeonpea with maize, sorghum and other cereals,making it highly suited to semi-arid,low soil fertility areas. There are huge market demand for both green and dry pigeonpea in European and Asian markets,respectively.India imports pigeonpea grain from ESA and Myanmar.ESA countries have very distinct advantage of exporting during the lean season,i.e.May-November. Successes In the last couple of years farmers in ESA are reaping good harvests.The major success has been the dissemination of photo insensitive Fusarium wilt-resistant medium- and long-duration varieties of pigeonpea.New generation medium-duration varieties are highly relevant under climate change and associated frequent terminal droughts,to stabilize yields in traditional areas and spread in to non-traditional areas like Northern Malawi; Arumeru-Moshi areas of Tanzania; Mbere,Kerio valley,Koibatek of Kenya. A number of medium-duration varieties have been released or are already being grown by farmers who appreciate their ability to produce a crop even when there is a total crop failure in the long-rains under bimodal rainfall patterns. In Babati and Karatu districts,which is the heartland of pigeonpea,improved varieties such as ICEAP 00040 (locally called Mali which means wealth in Swahili) and ICEAP 00053 are becoming very popular.In Babati District adoption levels have reached 60% and pigeonpea alone contributes to more than 50% of the cash incomes for smallholder farmers.Realizing the huge demand for improved seeds,local agro-dealers (called agrovets) contract trained farmers to grow high-quality seeds with the support of the extension system in training and organizing farmers.The produce is marketed through producer marketing groups (PMGs) that allow smallholder farmers to benefit from collective action. Varieties released recently or in the pipeline for release: One medium- duration pigeonpea variety,ICEAP 00557,released and notified for cultivation in Malawi.Two more varieties,ICEAP 00850 and 00932,released in Kenya. Mrs. Rose Fratern Muriang, a progressive farmer/councilor. New generation wilt tolerant genotypes. With media in Eastern Kenya. Farmer-preferred varieties identified through FPVS trials Country Cultivars preferred by farmers Medium duration Long duration Tanzania ICEAPs 00554,00557 ICEAPs 00053,00932 Malawi ICEAPs 00557,01514/14, 01167/11 ICEAPs 00576-1,00932 Kenya ICEAPs 00850,00557, 00554
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