Pigeon Pea
Cajanus cajan
Pigeon pea is a hardy, bushy legume grown for toor dal and for its fresh green peas. It tolerates heat, drought and poor soil, enriches the soil with nitrogen and can live for several years as a small shrub.
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water young plants; mature plants are very drought tolerant. Avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Most well-drained soils; pH 5.0–8.0.
Temperature and humidity
10–42 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Little feeding needed.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Cut back after harvest to grow a second crop (ratoon).
Peas are safe when cooked.
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow with the monsoon.
Pick green pods when the seeds bulge.
Use as a windbreak or shade for young plants.
Pod borers are the main pest; check pods regularly.
Common problems
Caterpillars
The larvae of moths and butterflies, which chew holes in leaves, flowers and fruit and can strip a plant in days.
How to treat it →PestCorn earworm
A caterpillar that feeds on the tips of corn cobs and bores into tomato, pepper, chickpea and pigeon pea fruit and pods.
How to treat it →DiseaseFusarium wilt
A soil-borne fungus that blocks the water-conducting tissue, making plants yellow and wilt from one side.
How to treat it →DiseaseYellow vein mosaic
A virus spread by whiteflies that turns leaf veins bright yellow, especially on okra.
How to treat it →
