Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) Gardening
Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan syn Cajanus indicus) is a vigorous, drought-resistant perennial plant in the family Fabaceae, native to India. It is also known as Tropical green pea, Gunga pea, No eye pea, Toor dal or Arhar dal (India), Congo pea or Gungo pea (Jamaica), gandul (Puerto Rico), Pois Congo (Haiti), and Kadios (Philippines). Pigeon pea is cultivated as a food crop, green manure, intercrop, and forage. The many varieties of pigeon peas can be classified as tree type, tall varieties, and dwarf.
In most places in the US, pigeon peas must be grown as an annual, as the freezing temperatures can kill the plants.
Pigeon pea is cultivated in all tropical and semi-tropical regions, wither as a sole crop or intermixed with cereals, such as sorghum, maize, pearl millet, or other legumes such as peanuts. The world's three main pigeon pea producing regions are the Indian subcontinent, Eastern Africa, and Central America.
Pigeon pea is an erect perennial plant grows 1-5 m tall, and lives for about 5 years. It has a thin, deep-rooting taproot reaching up to 2 m in depth. The leaves have three leaflets, dark green and pubescent above and silvery grayish green underneath with longer hair. The flowers are yellow with red to reddish-brown line or a red outside. The fruit is a pod containing 4-5 seeds of cream, gray, light brown, purple, or black colors, depending on variety. The pea or seed is a heavy bearer, with a sweet taste.
Pigeon pea is rich in vitamin B, protein and important amino acids, such as methionine, lysine, and tryptophan. The seeds are used whole, dehulled, or ground as flour.
Propagation is by seeds. Pigeon peas are easy to grow, and can tolerate most soils, from sandy soils to heavy clays, and can survive with limited water. They perform better with healthier environments. Harvesting begins 5-8 months after planting.
Seed pods of Pigeon pea
Author: Tau'olunga (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Seeds of Cajanus cajan
Author: Steve Hurst (public domain)
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