EXTRA-SHORT-DURATION PIGEONPEA FOR DIVERSIFYING WHEAT-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN THE SUB-TROPICS

The performance of newly developed extra-short-duration pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) genotypes and traditional short-duration pigeonpea cultivars was compared in rotation with wheat in on-farm trials conducted in 1996-97 and 1997-98 in Sonepat (28degrees N) district in Haryana, and in 1996-97 at Ludhiana (30degrees N) district in Punjab, India. At both locations, a wheat crop (Triticum aestivum cv. HD 2329) followed pigeonpea. At Sonepat, an indeterminate extra-short-duration genotype ICPL 88039 matured up to three weeks earlier, yet gave 12% higher yield (1.57 t ha(-1)) and showed less susceptibility to borer damage than did the short-duration cv. Manak. At Ludhiana, extra-short-duration pigeonpea genotypes, ICPL 88039, ICPL 85010 and AL 201 gave similar grain yields to the short-duration T 21 in spite of maturing three to four weeks earlier. Yields of wheat crops following extra-short-duration genotypes were up to 0.75 t ha(-1) greater at Sonepat and up to 1.0 t ha(-1) greater at Ludhiana. The results of the study provide empirical evidence that extra-short-duration pigeonpea genotypes could contribute to higher productivity of pigeonpea-wheat rotation systems. Most of the farmers who grew on-farm trials in Sonepat preferred extra-short-duration to short-duration pigeonpea types for their early maturity, bold seed size, arid the greater yield of the following wheat crop.