The new pigeon pea cultivar can withstand temperatures as high as 45°C and matures in just 125 days.
Published Jun 11, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2025 | 7:32 AM
The new variety has already shown promising results in actual farming conditions. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The heat-tolerant pigeon pea is likely to help India meet its annual domestic demand of 1.5 million tonnes. The country currently produces 3.5 million tonnes.
In a breakthrough advancement that could revolutionise Indian agriculture, scientists have developed the country’s first pigeon pea variety that can survive extreme summer temperatures and grow year-round.
The new variety, called ICPV 25444, represents a major leap forward for farmers struggling with climate change and seasonal limitations.
Developed by researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, the new pigeon pea cultivar can withstand temperatures as high as 45°C—hot enough to make most crops wilt and die. What makes it even more remarkable is that it matures in just 125 days, compared to traditional varieties that take longer.
The variety is described as “photo- and thermo-insensitive,” which means it doesn’t depend on specific daylight hours or temperature ranges to grow properly. This is crucial because traditional pigeon pea varieties are very particular about when they can be planted and grown.
Scientists have successfully tested ICPV 25444 in Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana, where it produced impressive yields of two tonnes per hectare—a significant achievement for a crop that can now grow in previously impossible conditions.
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Breaking seasonal barriers
Until now, pigeon pea cultivation has been restricted to the rainy kharif season (monsoon period from June to October) because the crop was too sensitive to extreme temperatures and changing daylight patterns. This new variety changes everything by allowing farmers to grow pigeon pea during the scorching summer months when fields typically remain unused.
“This breakthrough in developing a summer-adapted pigeon pea cultivar is a shining example of what science can achieve when driven by urgency and purpose,” Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, said in a statement. “By transforming pigeon pea into an all-season crop, our scientists have delivered a timely solution with the potential to address pulse shortages and climate challenges facing farmers across India.”
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Speed-breeding revolution
The breakthrough was made possible by ICRISAT’s development of the world’s first speed-breeding protocol for pigeon pea. This innovative technique allows scientists to grow up to four generations of the crop per year, dramatically reducing the time needed to develop new varieties from 15 years to just five years.
Dr. Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General-Research and Innovation at ICRISAT, explained how this speed-breeding protocol was a game-changer in creating ICPV 25444.
The protocol involves growing pigeon pea in controlled environments using space-optimised planting in small four-inch pots. Scientists managed to grow an impressive 18,000 plants per season in just a 2,250 square foot area. The process was enhanced using advanced genomic technologies and a seed-chipping method, which helps scientists analyse plant genetics more efficiently.
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Tackling India’s pulse crisis
India faces a significant challenge in meeting its pigeon pea demand. The country currently produces 3.5 million tonnes of pigeon pea annually, but needs 1.5 million tonnes more to meet the domestic demand. This shortage forces India to import pulses worth $800 million every year.
ICPV 25444 offers a two-pronged solution to boost domestic production:
Vertical expansion: Growing high-yielding varieties during the traditional kharif season on existing 5 million hectares of farmland.
Horizontal expansion: Extending cultivation to rice fallows during the rabi season (winter crop period) and unused summer lands with irrigation facilities, thanks to the new variety’s heat tolerance and quick maturation.
The heat-tolerant pigeon pea has particularly strong potential in 2-3 million hectares of tail-end command areas—regions at the far end of irrigation systems where water supply is often limited. These areas currently use paddy-paddy, paddy-maize, or paddy-vegetable farming systems but often face terminal moisture stress, leading to poor second-crop yields.
With a yield potential of 1.5-2 tonnes per hectare, pigeon pea could enhance farmers’ profitability by $234 (₹20,000) per hectare in these challenging areas.
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Success stories
The new variety has already shown promising results in actual farming conditions. In Bagalkot, Karnataka, farmers Hanumantha Mirji and Basavaraj Ghanti decided to try growing the crop during summer—something previously impossible with traditional pigeon pea varieties.
Dr. Vijendra S. Sangam from Karnataka State Seeds Corporation reported that both farmers were satisfied with the crop’s performance under high-density planting and were optimistic about achieving good yields.
Farmer Gururaj Kulkarni shared his enthusiasm: “ICPV 25444 is a boon to farmers who wish to grow pigeon pea in summer. It matures in four months. No disease and pests were observed in the field. We are happy and will produce more during the next summer.”
As climate change continues to disrupt traditional farming patterns worldwide, ICPV 25444 represents a timely innovation that could have implications far beyond India’s borders.
Dr. Sean Mayes, Global Research Programme Director for Accelerated Crop Improvement at ICRISAT, revealed that the institute is developing a global trait diversity panel from their entire pigeon pea gene bank collection of 13,000 accessions using the speed-breeding platform. This positions ICRISAT to support breeding programmes globally, with active partnerships already established in Asia, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Africa.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
