Balyogera Aggrey,Memuna Mohammad
UGANDA. 15-Dec-2024
Source:Hernandez, J. (2018). Pigeon peas forest garden
SUMMARY
Pigeon peas are drought resistant leguminous perennial crop. It can survive in different types of soils and weather. Has multiple uses such as medicinal, nutritional, soil fertility and firewood.
BACKGROUND
Over view Pigeon peas is a short-lived perennial, most often grown as an annual (Cards, 2022). It has deep root network well adapted to semi-arid conditions. Plants can grow to a height of 3 to 10 feet, with slender leaves, yellow or red flowers, and pods of various colours. Their seed pods are long with two to nine large seeds (HENDERSON, 2023) Pigeon pea scientifically known as Cajanus cajan is a mult-purpose legume, cultivated on 6.97 million hectares globally, with a yield of 5.05 million tons. Pigeon pea is mainly grown by smallholders in semi-arid regions in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia, and Central America. It is a semi-perennial legume, harvestable between 6 to 8 month. It can fix nitrogen between 40 to 450kg per hectare and reduce soil erosion due to its taproot properties. It’s known for its adaptability and quick growth.
Growth requirement
Drought-tolerant and heat-resistant pigeon peas and they attract pollinators. Propagated by seeds (Rangareddy, 2023). Can grow in a range of soil types, including loam, clay, or sand. Pigeon peas need a lot of sun of about 6 to 8 hours of a full sun daily. Need spacious garden beds to allow plant spread. Resistant to pests. Require frequent weeding when still young. Do not require pruning. Do not require fertilizer application since they are nitrogen fixers (Landers, 2023)
Nutritional benefit
In Uganda, pigeon pea plays an important role for smallholder’s food and nutrition security, especially in the resource-constrained semi-arid north of the country. It is an inexpensive and reliable source of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. It contains important amino acids such as methionine, lysine and tryptophan (al P. S., 2018) and further provides fodder and residues that are used as feed, mulch, and fuel wood (al, 2022). According to Wikipedia, pigeon peas are both a food crop (dried peas, flour, or green vegetable peas) and a forage/cover crop. In the combination with cereals, pigeon peas make a well-balanced meal and hence are favoured by nutritionists as an essential ingredient for balanced diet (Hernandez, 2018)
Medicinal benefit
It was noted in a study conducted in India that Pigeon peas are used in the treatment of ischemic necrosis of the caput femoris, aphtha, bed sore and wound healing. Chemical investigations revealed presence of two globulins, cajanin and concajanin. It has been used widely for many years for treating diabetes, sores, skin irritations, hepatitis, measles, jaundice, dysentery, expelling bladder stones and stabilizing menstrual periods (al D. P., 2011)
REFERENCES
al, D. B. (2022). A Typology and preferences for Pigeon Pea in Smallholder Mixed Farming Systems in Uganda. Crop Production. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1186 al, D. P. (2011). Biological activities and medicinal properties of Cajanus cajan.
Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology and Research, 204-214. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wsGiaBJfD9WiBU3jWStD0G-ybbBMAn7T/view?usp=drivesdk al, P. S. (2018). Influence of rainwater conservation practices on water use and insufficiency of pigeon peas in Medium black soil under dry land condition. International Journal of Agriculture Science. https://www.bioinfopublication.org/include/download.php?id=BIA0004357#:~:text=Significantly%20the%20higher%20yield%20due,the%20slope%20after%20two%20rows.
Cards, E. (2022). Pigeon pea trials. incredible vegetables.
HENDERSON, P. (2023). Pigeon peas. Understudied Indigenous Crops. https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/understudiedindigenouscrops/chapter/pigeon-pea/#:~:text=Pigeon%20pea%20is%20one%20of,adapted%20to%20semi%2Darid%20conditions. Hernandez, J. (2018).
Pigeon peas. forest garden. https://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/pigeon-pea.html
Landers, L. (2023). How to plant and grow pigeon peas. Better Homes and Gardening. https://www.bhg.com/how-to-plant-and-grow-pigeon-peas-7553732 Rangareddy, T. (2023). Pure crop science. IndiaMART
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