Crop farming has, over the years, been unviable in the Eastern parts of Kenya due to the harsh climate, with farmers in the region now adopting drought-resistant crops to tackle malnutrition.

Festus Muthoka from Ndeini village in Machakos County couldn’t look back after adopting ‘Mituki, a new pigeon pea variety known for its superior characteristics.

The farmer says he had been growing maize, beans, and local pigeon pea for seven years but inconsistent rainfall made the venture unprofitable due to low yields.

Fortunately, he discovered the Mituki pigeon pea variety which he says has been a game-changer for the three years he has been growing it.

“The first year, I planted three lines of Mituki and saw its potential. It is more profitable to sell pigeon peas when it is green. This variety stays green for a long time, and the demand, especially in local hotels, is very high. I sold it for a good profit,” he told CIMMYT.

Unlike the traditional pigeon pea varieties, which take up to nine months to mature, the Mituki variety matures in four and a half months and can be harvested two to three times a year.

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In addition, the variety is high-yielding and can produce up to four tonnes of pigeon peas per hectare.

“For my first harvest, I made over US $1,500 (Sh193,700) by selling green pigeon peas. Even after harvesting, the crop remains lush, allowing ongoing sales,” Muthoka added.

Stephen Mutunga, who grows the legume on a 20-acre farm in Ivinganzia village, Makueni County, says for maximum yield, it is recommended to plant pure seeds to prevent cross-pollination and loss of desirable traits.

Additionally, recycled seeds are said to accumulate diseases and pests, diminishing crop health. Stored seeds can also have low germination capacity and vigor, leading to poor crop performance.

Mutunga says it is more profitable to sell pigeon peas when it is green, adding that a kilo fetches up to Sh200.

The Mituki variety was developed by scientists at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Katumani drylands crop research station in Machakos county, following a high demand for early- to medium-maturing varieties.

Rael Karimi, a  KALRO researcher and breeder in Katumani says farmers needed early- to medium-maturing varieties with market- and farmer-preferred traits, such as larger grains and pods for ease of shelling for green vegetables.

“When I first started working on the pigeon pea breeding program, we identified a gap in the local varieties, which took a whole year to mature. The commercial short-duration variety, which matures in three months, had small pods and grain, therefore not acceptable to farmers. This resulted in the development and release of the Mituki variety in 2018,’’ she says.