Constraints to commercialization of Pigeonpea in the Caribbean
Pigeonpea, an ubiquitous staple in the Caribbean, is popular for both its palatability and its hardiness. And yet, despite over thirty years of research efforts throughout the region, it remains resistant to commercialization.
Pigeonpea is grown mainly as a small farm, low-input crop and is often planted as an intercrop or around boundaries of plots. It is estimated that
at least 5,500 hectares are sown annually throughout the region with farm yields of green pods varying between 400 to 1500 kg/ha although
experimental yields, and yields of newer varieties, can be much higher. But, despite many years of introduction and evaluation of different types of
pigeonpeas, the main cultivars planted are still the unimproved, tall, indeterminate types such as Tobago Pea, La Seiva, Pedro Giant and Khaki.
These varieties are photosensitive, bearing between December and March, and a high labour input is required at harvest which greatly
increases the cost of production.
For commercial year-round production, there is a need for photo-insensitive or day-neutral cultivars. Also, to facilitate harvesting and to satisfy consumer demand, short cultivars with an attractive appearance - large pods and seeds - are required. However, despite selections for these characteristics in breeding programmes at various institutions, no one variety has proved popular throughout the region. Caribbean consumers consider many of the ICRISAT varieties too small, and many of the new introductions appear to be more susceptible to pod borers than the indigenous types. The out of season yield of the day-neutral varieties currently being grown is not very high and their use has not significantly increased year-round production. Plant breeders at the University of Puerto Rico have selected large seeded, day-neutral varieties but these tend to carry few seeds per pod. Some promising lines, incorporating all the desired characteristics, are currently being developed at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad.
An early maturing, dwarf, determinate variety, UWI 10, is planted by growers in Trinidad and elsewhere in the Caribbean in August or September. This can then be harvested for the Christmas market when demand and prices are high, unlike traditional cultivars which bear more heavily after Christmas. Another determinate variety, ICPL 289, was selected, particularly in Barbados, for its ease of harvesting. It is short, growing to a height of 0.6 to 1.2 metres and the pods, which generally mature evenly, are borne in clusters at the end of branches, making manual harvesting relatively easy. Seeding of the crop has been successfully mechanized but, despite the introduction of dwarf, evenly maturing varieties, attempts at mechanical harvesting and threshing have been only partially successful. This is because it has proved difficult to reduce losses caused by falling and shattering pods during the process of cutting plants, windrowing and transporting to the thresher. A de-huller, designed by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) in the 1980s, continues to be used in the region.
Consumer demand for commercializationFresh pigeonpeas are sold at local markets but it has been estimated that production only satisfies about 20% of the demand. CARICOM data indicate that more than 800,000 kg of dried peas are imported annually into the region. In 1997, 70% of these were imported into Trinidad with the majority being used for canning. In addition, a further 800,000 kg of processed (mainly canned) peas are imported into the region with about 50% going to Jamaica. Minimal amounts of fresh and frozen peas are exported from the islands but the export of canned peas is increasing from both Trinidad and, more recently, from Jamaica. |
Commercialization of pigeonpea is also inhibited by its susceptibility to a wide range of pests and diseases. Control for these are rarely practiced and there is often a high incidence of Tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, and the pod borers Fundella pellucens and Ancyclostomia stercorea. A seed weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis) also attacks dried pods in the field and in storage. Indigenous natural enemies of the budworm and pod borers include the parasites Bracon, Apanteles and Trichogramma species, but these do not appear to give adequate control. The Caribbean Agricultural Research Institute (CARDI) attempted to enhance biological control through the selection and introduction of natural enemies originating in Asia, USA and the Caribbean. The trials achieved some success with the selection of a Brachon species that killed over 40% of Tobacco budworm caterpillars in several locations.
Future development work will undoubtedly need to focus on both domestic and commercial production systems. The appropriateness of the indeterminate varieties for domestic use should be recognized and these indigenous types, which are very vulnerable to crossing with the many introduced varieties, must be preserved. At the same time, exploiting the commercial potential of this crop, as indicated by trade data, remains an exciting challenge.
University of the West Indies (UWI), The University of Puerto Rico
The International Centre for Research in the Semi-arid tropics (ICRISAT)
