Research has overcome a long-standing barrier to improved pigeonpea production by identifying the cause of the pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus (SMD). This has permitted the development of diagnostic tools and improved methods of screening for resistance, as well as integrated technologies to combat this and two other major pigeonpea problems: fusarium wilt and pod borer. Over 600 resource-poor farming families who grow pigeonpea in India now have high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, integrated control components, village-level seed systems, special machines to help them in hulling, and bio-pesticides to safeguard their harvests. Pigeonpea is the principal dietary protein source for an estimated 1.1 billion people.
