Pigeon Pea – A Potential Drought Tolerant Legume for North Texas

Story by Susan Metz
Texas A&M Experiment Station
Dallas, Texas

Dr. Srinivas Rao, a research agronomist at the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory located in El Reno, Oklahoma, recently presented a seminar at the Texas A&M Experiment Station located in Dallas, Texas, highlighting his extensive experience with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), which is utilized as a forage crop in the Southwest. Dr. Rao and his colleagues have shown through their research, that pigeon pea has the potential to fill the feed deficit period from late-July through frost faced by livestock producers throughout the Great Plains.

Four pigeon pea varieties, which were developed by Horticulturist Sharad Phatak based at the University of Georgia, are being evaluated by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Dallas.

The Georgia Seed Development Commission has provided funding to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to evaluate pigeon pea varieties for green and dry pea production, as well as forage potential for cattle producers in North Texas.

India’s ban on export of dal or dry peas has nearly tripled the price of dry pulse crops such as the pigeon pea, creating a potential market to serve the many Indian-Americans in the North Texas metroplex.

Soil Scientist Dr. John Sloan and Senior Research Associate Susan Metz, who both are researchers with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Dallas, are currently working with Harry Iyer, executive director of the Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Bluebonnet RC&D Coordinator Dennis Reger, and Dr. Sharad Phatak to obtain research funds for continued exploration of this diverse crop for use throughout North Texas.

Pigeon pea shown before and after grazing by cattle at the University of Georgia, Tifton Campus. (Photos by Dr. Sharad Phatak.)

< Back to Highlights