Abstract
Investigations regarding the incorporation of better sustainable production strategies into current agricultural-food systems are necessary to grow crops that reduce negative impacts on the environment yet will meet the production and nutritional demand of 10 billion people by 2050. The introduction of organic, alternative staple food crops, such as nutrient-dense field pea (Pisum sativum L.), to the everyday diet, may alleviate micronutrient malnutrition and incorporate more sustainable agriculture practices globally. Varieties are grown in organic systems currently yield less than conventionally produced foods, with less bioavailable nutrients, due to poor soil nutrient content. One of the most limiting nutrients for field pea is phosphorus (P) because this legume crop requires significant inputs for nodule formation. Therefore, P use efficiency (PUE) should be a breeding target for sustainable agriculture and biofortification efforts; the important role of the soil microbiome in nutrient acquisition should also be examined. The objectives of this review are to highlight the benefits of field pea for organic agriculture and human health, and discuss nutritional breeding strategies to increase field pea production in organic systems. Field pea and other pulse crops are underrepresented in agricultural research, yet are important crops for a sustainable future and better food systems. Furthermore, because field pea is consumed globally by both developed and at-risk populations, research efforts could help increase global health overall and combat micronutrient malnutrition.
Highlights
The Green Revolution is indisputably one of the most critical feats in recent agricultural history, but what has it cost our soils, crops, and environment as a whole? One result of the focus on mass production in monocultural systems for prolonged periods is the over-application of fertilizers and pesticides, which is a prevalent issue associated with conventional farming methods (Ponisio et al, 2015)
For field pea, there is a dearth of genomic information and resources regarding these processes, so more research should be conducted to identify these genomic regions as field pea becomes more popular in the health food market
Organic pulse breeding should focus on microbial interactions to improve P acquisition, and genomic studies should be performed in the diverse germplasm to discover any beneficial traits that may have been lost from modern day varieties over time
Summary
The Green Revolution is indisputably one of the most critical feats in recent agricultural history, but what has it cost our soils, crops, and environment as a whole? One result of the focus on mass production in monocultural systems for prolonged periods is the over-application of fertilizers and pesticides, which is a prevalent issue associated with conventional farming methods (Ponisio et al, 2015). Potential solutions to hidden hunger include: 1) biofortification to increase bioavailable micronutrients in staple crops through agronomic, plant breeding, and biotechnology efforts (Welch and Graham, 2004) and 2) diversifying staple crops to include cheaper, environmentally sustainable, and more nutrient-dense foods, such as field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and other pulse crops (Foyer et al, 2016). Leguminosae consists of the subfamily Papilionideae which splits into two distinct clades of cultivated legumes: 1) Hologalegina, evolving 50 million years ago and 2) Phaseoloid, evolving 45 million years ago (Foyer et al, 2016) These clades evolved separately, as Hologalegina is comprised of all cool season legumes, such as field pea, lentil, faba bean, and grass pea, while Phaseoloids consists of warm-season legumes (pigeon pea, soybean, common bean, mung bean, and cowpea) (Foyer et al, 2016). One of the main issues with field pea, and legumes, in general, is that they require much more P input than other crops due to their nodules, which require P for energy transformation (Vance et al, 2003); this presents an issue for sustainable agriculture
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