Exploring Genetic Diversity in Maturity Duration among Pigeonpea Genotypes Grown under Off-season (Rabi) Conditions

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millspaugh) is an important legume crop cultivated in rainfed areas due to its adaptability and soil-enriching properties. This study evaluated 250 genotypes from the PI-GAP (Pigeonpea International Genome-Wide Association Panel) for days to maturity under rabi season at ICRISAT, Patancheru. Maturity ranged from 92 to 209 days, with a mean of 141 days. Genotypes were grouped into five maturity classes, with most falling in the early category. Analysis of variance showed significant genetic effects (p < 0.001), supported by moderate GCV and PCV, high heritability (97.63%), and high genetic advance. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) was observed between plant height and days to maturity. Principal Component Analysis revealed that PC1 explained 88.64% of the total variance. These results highlight the potential of early and late maturing lines for target-specific pigeonpea breeding under diverse cropping systems.