A Mini Core Collection for Enhanced and Diversified Utilization of
Pigeonpea Germplasm Resources

Pigeonopea [ Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.], besides its cultivation in diversified cropping systems, is grown for multiple uses (food, feed, fuel, medicine etc.). Although a core collection (about 10% of entire collection) comprising 1290 accessions is available in pigeonpea (Reddy et al. 2005), in view of the wide range of maturity duration types grown for various purposes, mostly in developing countries, where research investments are inherently low, a mini core collection with largely reduced size is desirable. Hence, a pigeonpea mini core with 146 accessions (about 1.2% of entire collection) was constituted with chosen accessions representing the entire genetic diversity of the genebank collection. The list of accessions in the mini core along with the measured traits is given in the appendix table.