ABSTRACT
Pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. is an important high-protein grain legume of the semiarid tropics and subtropics, and caters to the protein requirements of the majority of the population in the Indian subcontinent. Its protein content is about 22.3 percent and the seeds contain two globulins, cajanin and concojanin, accounting for 58 percent and 8 percent of the total nitrogen respectively, differing from each other in their sulfur and tryptophan content. The globulins, which form the chief proteins of the seed, appear to be characteristic of the genus. They are rich in tyrosine and moderately rich in cysteine, arginine, and lysine. The improvement of pigeon pea with regard to pests, lowering allergenic protein levels in seeds, and improving the quality of protein is therefore desirable. The use of transformation techniques for producing new breeding materials that would not be available in the germplasm among cross-compatible species holds great potential for attaining this goal. Genetic enhancement of this crop through biotechnological methods for quality improvement with desirable genes has not yet been achieved.
