- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-17
ICRISAT’s climate-resilient pigeonpea hybrids have shown encouraging performance in high-altitude trials in Kashmir, demonstrating cold tolerance and stable flowering under temperate conditions. The development opens new possibilities for pulse cultivation in regions traditionally considered unsuitable for pigeonpea.
The breakthrough is expected to strengthen food security, diversify farmers’ incomes, and support climate-resilient agriculture, particularly in cold-prone areas facing changing climatic patterns.
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), initiated trials of novel pigeonpea genotypes at multiple high-altitude locations in the Valley earlier this year.
The trials are focused on early-maturing, light-sensitive, heat-insensitive, and cold-tolerant pigeonpea lines, aimed at identifying varieties capable of thriving in temperate climates where low temperatures have historically limited pigeonpea cultivation.
Scientists involved in the project said the positive results indicate strong potential for expanding pigeonpea farming into new agro-climatic zones, offering farmers an additional pulse crop option and improving overall agricultural resilience.
