Lecture 5: Lugumes and Pulses

Forage crops (various species)

- a number of legumes are used as forage and fonder plants for domestic animals, they are important sources of protein - legumes are also widely utilized as fallow crops, grown in rotation with non-leguminous crops such as cereals in order to naturally increase soil nitrogen content - species used as forage crops in temperate regions include red clover, sweet clover and alfalfa

Tropical Pluses

- are an important seed protein source in india, africa, asia and south america - examples include the lima bean, broad bean, chick pea, black bean, mung bean, black eyed bean and lentil - Lentils an acient crop from the near east and are widely grown in india

Soy bean

- derived from wild soya, a species native to China, Japan, and Korea - first cultivated 3,000 years ago - the seeds are very high in protein (35 to 40%) - most economically important of the legumes - requires warm temps and a long growing season - used as fresh and dried beans, bean sprouts, edile oil products various asian cooking products like soy sauce and used as meat alternatives

Carob

- is a subtropical tree native to the arabian peninsula - the large pods, known as st.johns bread, contain seeds rich in protein an sugar - the pods are often sold fresh for the edile sweetmeat that surronds the seeds - another tropical leguminous tree, the tamarind is used in the same way - the pods can be processed into a thick paste used as a chocolate substitue - a gum is extracted from the seeds and is used as stabilizers and a thickener in ice creams, salad dressings and other food products - the most important are gum arabic and rhe guargum bean

Pea

- is an acient legume crop and has been cultivated for 7000 years - indigenous to the mediterranean region, the middle east and northern Africa - the seeds may be dried or eaten fresh - peas were an important source of protein in medieval Europe "mushy peas"

Nitrogen fixing bacteria

- legumes produce root nodules that house colonies on nitrogen fixing bacteria - these bacteria convert inert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be utilized by plants - because nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most soils, the presence of these are a great assest and lugume are planted between years to increase the nitrogen in the soil

Common or kidney bean

- native to central and south america - the whole pod may be eaten fresh or the seeds may be harvested and dried - dried beans contain about 20% protein

Peanut or Groundnut

- native to central and south america and was first domesticated over 3,500 years ago - although classified a "nut", it is actually a legume with 1 to 3 seeds per a pod - two main types the prostrate virginia, and the upright spanish type - largest producers are india, china, nigeria and the united states - a curious feature is that the flower stalk elongates following pollination, pushing the maturing fruit into the soil - they are there for best grown in loose, sandy soils - mostly produced from edile oils and industrial oils

Fenugreek

- native to the mediterranean and western asia - used medicinally and as a food, important seed crop in india and the middle east - important spice in making curry - in india the fresh leaves are used as vegetables, and the dried leaves as an aromatic spice

Liquorice

- native to the mediterranean region and central asia - greeks and romans have been cultivating it for centuries as a flavouring and sweetener - liquorice flavouring, obtained by boiling the rhizome in water is used in candies, dark beers and some liquers - true liquorice candy is made by mixing the concentrated juice with gum arabic, sugar and other flavouring agents

Characteristics of the fruit

- the fruit is know as legumes,single chambered pod with the seeds attached along one edge - dried seeds are very high in protein (up to 30%) - the seeds can be eaten fresh or dried for storage

ecological mutalism

- the legume provides food in the form of sugar from photosynthesis to the bacterial colonies in the nodules and recessive an essential nutrient for plant growth in return - the plant and the bacteria benefit from the association

Pea family

- the lugumes or pluses are members of the dicot Fabaceae (leguminosae) family. - includes both herbaceous forms eg. peas and bean and tree forms eg. acacia and tamanind