- Second largest cultivated grain food legume in the world.
- Cultivated in about 11.5 million hectares mostly by resource poor farmers in the semi-arid tropics
- India is the largest producer of chickpea.
- Important from both commercial as well as nutritional point of view for India as it provides cheap and rich source of protein which can address the problem protein malnutrition.
- Legumes are notable in that most of them have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in structures called root nodules.
Legume Crops
- Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for their food grain seed (e.g. beans and lentils, or generally pulse), for livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing green manure
- Provide proteins
- Legumes are notable in that most of them have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in structures called root nodules
- Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils(masoor pulse), lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts and the woody climbing vine wisteria
