Abstract:

Pigeonpea is a shrub-like legume whose grain is rich in minerals, vitamins, fat and protein. It contains more minerals, 10 times more fat, 5 tires more vitamin A, and 3 times more vitamin C than ordinary peas. It is also abundant in protein (up to 28%), making it an ideal supplement to traditional cereal-banana-or tuber based diets that are generally protein deficient. Pigeonpea is also an important source of fodder for, livestock (pod walls and leaves), fuel wood and improves fertility through nitrogen fixation (up to 40 kgha1 of nitrogen) and extracts more (2-7 times) iron bound phosphorus than other crops. The crop can also improve the structure of the soil. The long roots bore channel deep into the ground, increasing the infiltration of water for subsequent crops. They also bring nutrients from nutrients from the deep layer of the ground to the top ensuring that the plant produces grain even in drought years when most other cropsfail completely.