Fighting and Winning the War against Green Plague

Pigeonpea is a major legume crop in the Indian subcontinent, and an important source of dietary protein for over one billion people. However, farmers suffer devastating losses from sterility mosaic disease (SMD) and the pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus (PPSMV). Now, thanks to an innovative partnership, a new pigeonpea variety—ICP 7035—released for cultivation in southern Karnataka State is helping farmers achieve stable yields.

With support from the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) together with other CGIAR Members, scientists from ICRISAT and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, have evaluated ICP 7035 for disease resistance in SMD hot spots. Significantly, they found ICP 7035 was immune to infection by PPSMV isolates as well as the mite vector.

“ICRISAT is winning the war against green plague”, said William Dar, Director General, ICRISAT. “By identifying the causal agent of SMD, ICRISAT has won a major battle. Varieties like ICP 7035 can prevent yield losses and thereby enhance incomes of pigeonpea farmers.”

Such breakthroughs could ultimately increase pigeonpea production by 20 percent in southern Karnataka. In SMD hot spots, yield increases ranging from 20 to 90 percent have been recorded in the improved varieties, whereas local varieties succumb to the disease.

PPSMV disease is regarded as “Green Plague,” that spreads rapidly in farmers’ fields and renders plants sterile by inhibiting flower production. Affected plants bear no pods. Tens of millions of farm families are affected, suffering massive losses estimated to exceed $300 million annually in India and Nepal alone.

The ICP 7035 is a unique landrace that is suitable for use as a legume and vegetable crop. When the pods are green, the bold seeds are used as a vegetable, similar to garden peas. When dry, the legume is suitable for cooking and consumption along with cereals. The ICP 7035 vegetable seed has 8.8 per cent sugar, the highest found in pigeonpea, comparable in sweetness to peas. Edible portions of dry seeds contain 19.6 percent protein, 27.4 percent dietary fiber and 33 percent starch, and the seeds are rich in micronutrients. In addition, the purple seed coat of ICP7035 has high amount of anthocyanins, a dietary antioxidant that provides significant health benefits.

This dual-purpose pigeonpea variety is helping poor farmers fight the “Green Plague” while also diversifying their sources of income.