Legumes represent the third largest family of angiosperms, with > 18,000 species worldwide (Leguminosae or Fabaceae). Due to their high nutritional value, they have been cultivat‐ ed by many cultures for use in agriculture. Indeed, legumes currently represent some of the most important food, feed and fuel crops grown around the world, second only to cereals. They have a global-production value ...

Grain legumes could serve as a low cost nitrogen (N) and energy source for animal production in the southern Great Plains (SGP). This study evaluated the yield and nutritive value of grains of tropical annual legumes novel to the SGP. Included were cultivars of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] (cv. GA-2), guar [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] (cv. Kinman), cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (...

In the past decade, plant nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) genes have gained major interest due to their roles in many biological processes in plant development or adaptation to environmental conditions, particularly in the root nodule symbiosis established between legume plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria. NF-Ys are heterotrimeric transcriptional complexes composed of three subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and...

An experiment was conducted at the research station of the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) at Machakos, Kenya from November 1989 to February 1996 to evaluate the effect of annual and perennial legumes on soil fertility, cereal yields and economic returns. The study evaluated six cropping systems: (1) continuous sole maize, (2) maize rotated with short-duration legume, ...

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the world’s second most important grain legume after common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Ethiopia considered as a secondary center of genetic diversity for chickpea.

The Food and Agriculture Organization statistics for 2001 (http://apps.fao.org/page/collections? subset agriculture) show that 274 million metric tons of grain legumes were produced across the world, of which 177 million were soybeans (Glycine max; one-half of which were produced in the U.S.) compared with 2 trillion metric tons of cereals. Legume seeds are put to a myriad of uses, both nutriti...

The management of major field insect pests of cowpea under calendar and monitored sprays of cypermethrin was studied. The major insect pests studied were the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, legume bud thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti Tryb, legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fab. and pod sucking bugs. Influence of insect pest management on yield was also determined. The calendar sprays consist...