Time of Harvesting :

Pegionpea crop ready for Harvest

Pigeonpea leaves, unlike other crops, remain green when the pods are ready for harvest. This may confuse decision on optimum harvest time. Pigeonpea should be harvested when 75-80% of the pods turn brown and are dry. Delayed harvesting, during bad-weather, may increase the risk of damage to mature seed. Green pigeonpea pods are harvested for different purposes. Fully developed, bright green seed is preferred for use as a vegetable. Hence, pod should be harvested just before they start loosing their green color.

Method of Harvesting :
Traditionally, pigeonpea plants are harvested by cutting the stem at the base. The harvested plants are bundled and placed upright to dry. Pods and grain are separated by beating the dry plants with sticks or by using a thresher.

Hand Picking in Pegionpea :
Hand-picking in Pigeonpea               Hand threshing   Machine threshing Manual harvesting		Another way to harvest pigeonpea is by hand picking the mature pods. This allows the crop to flower and pod for a second or sometimes a third harvest. Hand-picking may not be economical beyond a second flush. When hand-picking of pods is not feasible, the upper branches with mature pods are cut (good for determinate types). Green pods used as a vegetable are commonly picked by hand. For a large-scale processing, pods are mechanically harvested.     Hand cleaning   Machine cleaning   Mechanical harvesting