The pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Etymology and other names
Scientific epithet The scientific name for the genus Cajanus and the species cajan derive from the Malay word (modern spelling: ) meaning legume in reference to the bean of the plant.
Common English names In English they are commonly referred to as pigeon pea which originates from the historical utilization of the pulse as pigeon fodder in Barbados. The term Congo pea and Angola pea developed due to the presence of its cultivation in Africa and the association of its utilization with those of African descent. The names no-eye pea and red gram both refer to the characteristics of the seed, with no-eye pea in reference to the lack of a hilum blotch on most varieties, unlike the black-eyed pea, and red gram in reference to the red color of most Indian varieties and gram simply referring to the plant being a legume.
Internationally Africa
countrieslanguagenameBeninAdjaEdeFonCape VerdeCape Verdean creoleComoros, MauritiusComorianMorisyenGhanaDagbaniKenya, TanzaniaSwahiliMadagascarMalagasyMalawiChichewaNigeriaHausa IgboYoruba SudanArabic ()
Asia
In India the plant is known by names such as:
,
In Persian, it is known as and is popular in dishes. In the Philippines they are known as in Filipino and in Tagalog.
The Americas In Latin America, they are known as or in Spanish, and or in Portuguese all of which derive from Kikongo or from Kimbundu ; both names referring to the same plant.
In the Anglophone regions of the Caribbean, like Jamaica, they are known as Gungo peas, coming from the more archaic English name for the plant congo pea, given to the plant because of its popularity and relation to Sub-Saharan Africa.Carney, J. A. and Rosomoff, R. N. (2009) In the Shadow of Slavery. Africa's Botanical legacy in the Atlantic World. Berkeley: University of California Press
In Francophone regions of the Caribbean they are known as , in Antillean creole and in Haitian creole.
In Suriname they are known as or , the former of which is derived from the same source as its Spanish and Portuguese counterparts, the latter of which literally translates to 'yellow pea' from Dutch and Sranan Tongo.
Oceania In Hawaii they are known as or in the Hawaiian language.
History and origin
Origin The closest relatives to the cultivated pigeon pea are Cajanus cajanifolia, Cajanus scarabaeoides, and Cajanus kerstingii, native to India and the latter West Africa respectively. Much debate exist over the geographical origin of the species, with some groups claiming origin from the Nile river and Western Africa, and the other Indian origin. The two centers of genetic diversity exist in both Africa and India, but India is considered to be its primary center of origin with West Africa being considered a second major center of origin.
History By at least 2800 BCE in peninsular India, where its presumptive closest wild relatives Cajanus cajanifolia occurs in tropical deciduous woodlands, its cultivation has been documented.Van der Maeson, L. J. G. (1995). "Pigeonpea Cajanus cajan", pp. 251–5 in Smartt, J. and Simmonds, N. W. (eds.), Evolution of Crop Plants. Essex: Longman. Archaeological finds of pigeon pea cultivation dating to about 14th century BCE have also been found at the Neolithic site of Sanganakallu in Bellary and its border area Tuljapur (where the cultivation of African domesticated plants like pearl millet, finger millet, and Lablab have also been uncovered), as well as in Gopalpur and other South Indian states.
From India it may have made its way to North-East Africa via Trans-Oceanic Bronze Age trade that allowed cross-cultural exchange of resources and agricultural products. The earliest evidence of pigeon peas in Africa was found in Ancient Egypt with the presence of seeds in Egyptian tombs dating back to around 2200 BCE. From eastern Africa, cultivation spread further west and south through the continent, where by means of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, it reached the Americas around the 17th century.
Pigeon peas were introduced to Hawaii in 1824 by James Macrae with a few specimens becoming naturalized on the islands, but they wouldn't gain much popularity until later. By the early 20th century Filipinos and Puerto Ricans began to emigrate from the American Philippines and Puerto Rico to Hawaii to work in sugarcane plantations in 1906 and 1901, respectively. Pigeon peas are said to have been popularized on the island by the Puerto Rican community where by the First World War their cultivation began, to expand on the island where they are still cultivated and consumed by locals.
Nutrition
Pigeon peas contain high levels of protein and the important amino acids methionine, lysine, and tryptophan.
The following table indicates completeness of nutritional profile of various amino acids within mature seeds of pigeon pea.
Essential Amino Acid Available mg/g of Protein Min. Required mg/g of Protein Tryptophan 9.76 7 Threonine 32.34 27 Isoleucine 36.17 25 Leucine 71.3 55 Lysine 70.09 51 Methionine+Cystine 22.7 25 Phenylalanine+Tyrosine 110.4 47 Valine 43.1 32 Histidine 35.66 18
Methionine + cystine combination is the only limiting amino acid combination in pigeon pea. In contrast to the mature seeds, the immature seeds are generally lower in all nutritional values, however they contain a significant amount of vitamin C (39 mg per 100 g serving) and have a slightly higher fat content. Research has shown that the protein content of the immature seeds is of a higher quality.
Cultivation
Pigeon peas can be of a perennial variety, in which the crop can last three to five years (although the seed yield drops considerably after the first two years), or an annual variety more suitable for seed production.
Global production
World production of pigeon peas is estimated at 4.49 million tons. About 63% of this production comes from India. The total number of hectares grown to pigeon pea is estimated at 5.4 million. India accounts for 72% of the area grown to pigeon pea or 3.9 million hectares. Africa is the secondary centre of diversity and at present it contributes about 21% of global production with 1.05 million tons. Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda are the major producers in Africa. Malawi's Nandolo Farmers' Association is supported by international aid via the charity Christian Aid.Christian Aid (2023), Unwavering hope: A daily devotional, page 2, accessed on 8 October 2025
The pigeon pea is an important legume crop of rainfed agriculture in the semiarid tropics. The Indian subcontinent, Africa and Central America, in that order, are the world's three main pigeon pea-producing regions. Pigeon peas are cultivated in more than 25 tropical and subtropical countries, either as a sole crop or intermixed with cereals, such as sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), or maize (Zea mays), or with other legumes, such as peanuts (Arachis hypogea). Being a legume capable of symbiosis with Rhizobia, the bacteria associated with the pigeon pea enrich soils through symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
The crop is cultivated on marginal land by resource-poor farmers, who commonly grow traditional medium- and long-duration (5–11 months) landraces. Short-duration pigeon peas (3–4 months) suitable for multiple cropping have recently been developed. Traditionally, the use of such input as fertilizers, weeding, irrigation, and pesticides is minimal, so present yield levels are low (average = ). Greater attention is now being given to managing the crop because it is in high demand at remunerative prices.
Pigeon peas are very drought-resistant and can be grown in areas with less than 650 mm annual rainfall. With the maize crop failing three out of five years in drought-prone areas of Kenya, a consortium led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) aimed to promote the pigeon pea as a drought-resistant, nutritious alternative crop.
Nitrogen fixation Legumes, which provide highly nutritious products and contribute to soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, are one of the most important crops in mixed crop-livestock systems. Cajanus cajan is an important legume crop with a high N-fixation ability (79% N derived from the atmosphere). Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), together with strains of Rhizobium, can enhance growth and nitrogen fixation in pigeon pea by colonizing thenselves in the plant nodules. These bioinoculants can be added as a single species but also as combined communities. Using a single bioinoculant shows benefits, but mixed communitites of different bioinoculants have a greater positive impact on nodulation, plant dry mass, as well as shoot and root length. These different community species have different functions for the pigeon pea:
+Bioinoculant Function Azotobacter chroococcumpromotes plant growth as a biofertilizerBacillus megateriumproduces nematode-targeting antibiotics and potentially influencing cytokinin signaling and supports the nitrogen yield of the plant especially during flowering and maturity stages Pseudomonas fluorescensproduces bioactive metabolites and siderophores that combat plant pathogens and supports the denitrification process Trichoderma harzianumpromotes soil health by production of enzymes and secondary metabolites that enhibit harmful soilborne pathogens and nutrient cycling by promoting root development
Pests and diseases Pigeon pea is affected by a variety of pests and insects that can significantly impact crop yield and quality. They can infest the plant from seedling stage till harvest, therefore pests and diseases are the primary cause for low yields. The major pests are moths include the gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera), which causes defoliation and pod damage; the blue butterfly (Lampides boeticus), which infests buds, flowers, and young pods; and the spotted pod borer (Maruca vitrata), known for webbing together infested pods and flowers. The tur pod bug (Clavigralla gibbosa) is another significant pest of pigeon pea, causing substantial damage to pods and seeds. Current resistance efforts focus on breeding pigeon pea varieties with enhanced resistance to these pests. However, the presence of multiple pest species and the variability in pest pressure across regions pose challenges to achieving consistent resistance. Effective management techniques include integrated pest management (IPM) strategies such as crop rotation, intercropping with non-host plants, timely sowing, and the use of biological control agents like parasitoids and predators. Chemical control measures, including the application of insecticides like neem-based products and synthetic pyrethroids, are also employed when necessary.
Common diseases of pigeon pea:
Fusarium wilt (Fusarium udum) Dry root rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora drechsleri) Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria alternata) Powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) Sterility mosaic disease (Pigeon pea sterility mosaic virus) Yellow mosaic virus (Mungbean yellow mosaic virus)
Breeding