Genotype, Row Spacing and Environment Interaction for Productivity and Grain Quality of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) in sub-tropical Australia

Abstract

The pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is grown between the 45oN and 45oS as a summer food legume, and consumed by billions of people in the world. Recent renewed interest from Australian growers prompted the current study to evaluate high-yielding varieties and develop agronomic parameters for this crop. Performance of four selected pigeonpea genotypes were assessed under three row spacing (25, 50 and 100 cm) treatments and at one plant density (30 plants/m2) in two diverse Australian environments (Kingaroy and Gatton) in Queensland. Decreasing row spacing from 100cm to 25cm led to a linear increase in mean shoot dry matter (DM) at both sites. However, maximum grain yields of up to 2.9 t/ha were achieved at 50cm row spacing but the yields declined at 25cm spacing at both sites. Genotypic variation for radiation use efficiency (RUE) measured at Gatton site ranged from 1.40 to 1.76 g/MJ, which accounted for 76% of variation in DM. There was a significant effect of site and genotype on grain N and 100-seed mass. The study demonstrated that pigeonpea could be grown as a legume break crop in subtropical Australia, with potential export market opportunities.

Effect of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Variety and Plant Spacing on Grain and Fodder Yield

“…The varietal variations that were observed between the varieties for grain yield could be attributed to differences in genotypes other than the environment. The variations of variety on grain yield are in agreement with reports by Rachaputi, et al [34] and Blum [35].…”

Effect of plant spacing on pigeonpea grain yield in Northern Uganda

“…Planting pigeonpea with a high plant density has been reported to result in a greater leaf area index, thereby improving light interception and radiation use efficiency (Worku and Demisie, 2012). Rachaputi et al (2018) reported higher above-ground biomass yield of pigeonpea with narrow row spacing.…”

Reliability of Nonlinear least square broken stick model in quantifying the effects of temperature and photoperiod on flowering of pigeonpea genotypes (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.)

“…Yield loss due to drought in pigeonpea ranged from 20 -50 % (Hemavathy et al, 2023). Pigeonpea has gained increased interest among Australian farmers as an alternative summer legume crop for the Northern grain growing regions due to its ability to perform under harsh environments (Rachaputi et al, 2018). With unpredictable rainfall, intermitted drought conditions and temperature variability, the early maturing genotypes are promising options for avoiding climatic extremes.…”