Source: VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
BREEDING PIGEONPEA FOR SEED YIELD AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
EVANS-ALLEN
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1003505
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2014
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2017
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
PETERSBURG,VA 23803
Performing Department
Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
Pigeonpea has been identified as a potential food and feed crop for southern USA. However, there is a complete lack of breeding to improve this legume crop. The National Plant Germplasm System of USDA does not contain any pigeonpea accessions. Proposed effort will evaluate extensive pigeonpea germplasm, consisting of a collection of about 200 lines available with the New Crops Program of Virginia State University, to lay the foundation for development of high-yielding pigeonpea lines. A three prong strategy will be used to identify high yielding lines: selections from open-pollinated populations; characterization of pigeonpea lines for yield and nutritional quality to see if some lines have desirable seed yield and nutritional quality; and hybridization between selected lines to select desirable segregants in future segregating generations. Evaluations related to nutritional quality will lay a foundation for development of pigeonpea cultivars with enhanced concentrations of protein, iron and zinc via biofortification.
Animal Health Component
10%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
80%
Applied
10%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
20414101081100%
Knowledge Area
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest);

Subject Of Investigation
1410 - Beans (dry);

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;
Goals / Objectives
Current proposal aims to lay the foundation for development of adapted cultivars of pigeonpea that combine high yield with desirable nutritional quality. Objectives of this effort are: evaluation of available pigeonpea germplasm for superior seed yield and nutritional quality especially contents of iron and zinc; breeding pigeonpea to develop germplasm combining high yield and desirable nutritional quality; continuing breeding work with white lupin to develop locally-adapted cultivars; and conducting of preliminary evaluations with potential new crops.
Project Methods
Available pigeonpea lines will be evaluated in replicated field trials for two years to record data on seed yield, days to 50 percent flowering and full maturity, number of pods per m row length, number of seeds per pod, and plant height to identify high yielding lines with desirable nutritional quality. Additionally, data will be analyzed to determine correlations among various traits. In order to improve seed yield and nutritional quality, mass selection in open-pollinated populations, selection among available germplasm to see if any of the germplasm lines could be identified as a suitable cultivar, and hybridization of selected pigeonpea lines will be undertaken. In order to improve nutritional quality, emphasis will be placed on contents of protein, iron, and zinc.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Major goals of this project A main goal of this effort is to develop adapted pigeonpea cultivars to facilitate commercial production in southern United States. Specific objectives of this effort are: evaluation of available pigeonpea germplasm for seed yield and nutritional quality especially concentrations of iron and zinc; breeding pigeonpea to develop to develop germplasm combining high yield and desirable nutritional quality; continuing breeding work with white lupin to develop locally-adapted cultivars; and conducting preliminary evaluations with potential new crops.

Publications


    Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Scientific community, Administrators, farmers Changes/Problems:Lays a foundation for establishment of pigeonpea as an alternative food and feed legume crop in southern USA to diversify cropping system and to enhance farm incomes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? This project is making good progress. One Hundred pigeonpea breeding lines, selected from previously grown segregating populations, were grown during 2016 at Randolph Farm of Virginia State University using two replications of a randomized complete block design. This planting also included four check cultivars. The progenies were harvested in Nov-Dec of 2016 and data on seed yield were recorded. Several breeding lines out-yielded the check cultivars. Progeny numbers 43, 44, 45, 59, 81, and 89 were identified to promising based on their seed yields. The first four progenies have red-colored seeds whereas the last two progenies have cream-colored seed. Chemical analyses to characterize nutritional quality are planned and will start soon.

    Publications


      Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Scientific community, Administrators Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Lays a foundation for development of breeding lines of pigeonpea for introduction and establishment of this food legume in Southern USA.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Approximately 100 lines were planted in the field to record data and to multiply the seed.

      Publications