Genetic Improvement of Pigeon Pea — A Review

Pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] is a short-lived perennial shrub that is traditionally cultivated as an annual crop in developing countries. It is an important legume crop mostly produced in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean region. Based on the vast natural genetic variability in local germplasm and the presence of numerous wild relatives, van der Maesen [139] concluded that India is probably its primary center of origin. Pigeon pea is a hardy, widely adapted and drought tolerant crop with a large temporal variation (90–300 days) for maturity. These traits allow its cultivation in a range of environments and cropping systems. Globally, pigeon pea is cultivated on 4.92 million hectares (Mha) with an annual production of 3.65 metric tons and productivity of 898 kg ha−1 (http://faostat.fao.org/). In Asia, India........