Scaling Up Food Legume Production Through Genetic Gain and Improved Management

Pulses are important part 8 AU1 AU2 of cropping systems and food AU3 systems in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and occupy about 5.8% of the world’s arable 9 AU4 AU5 land area (Joshi and Parthasarathy Rao 2017). Pulses are unique largely due to their ability to grow on 10 marginal soils as they are able to fix most of their nitrogen requirement through 11 biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), are main source of proteins for vegetarian 12 people, and are also able to withstand stress situations such as drought. In 13 2011–2013, pulses accounted for 80 million ha of global crop area and produced 14 72 million metric t of grain. With respect to production globally, dry beans account 15 for 32%, chickpea 17%, dry peas 14.6%, cowpea 8.9%, lentils 7%, pigeon pea 6.2%, 16 and broad bean 5.8%. During the years 2005–2007, total production was around 17 AU6 60 million metric t, and so there is a significant increase in production in Canada and 18 Australia, the area expansion under pulses in Africa, and the export-oriented pro- 19 duction in Myanmar (Parthasarathy Rao et al. 2010). Developing countries account 20 for 70% of the global pulse production, but there is huge yield gap for pulses 21 between developed (1640 kg ha 22 1) and developing countries (765 kg ha 1). The differences are apparently due to differences in inputs, technology, and 23 infrastructure