Genetic enhancement of food legumes for nutritional security and sustainable cereal-based cropping systems

Abstract

Food legume crops are cultivated since the earliest days of agriculture for human food and animal feed. Today these crops are grown globally, providing food and nutritional security. In particular, they are the main source of protein, macro and micronutrients in the diets of medium to lowincome people in most developing countries. Besides their nutritional value, food legumes are important nitrogen fixers, contributing to soil health improvement and thus providing sustainable cropping system. However, global food legume production of about 67 million tons per year is insufficient to meet demand from ever-increasing populations, particularly in Africa and Asia. Food legumes are grown mainly by small and marginal farmers under rainfed conditions in marginal areas, leading to low and unstable yields. Moreover, they have long been ‘orphan crops’, receiving very little attention from researchers and policy makers. To attain a sustainable increased production in food legumes, several international research centers are working closely with national institutions to address these issues. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), located in the center of origin of many food legume species, is engaged in research to develop and deliver improved food legume technologies to farmers. The research covers multiple crops (lentil, faba bean, Kabuli chickpea, grasspea) and involves a multidisciplinary team comprising breeders, biotechnologists, pathologists, entomologists, and seed specialists, To date, a total of 368 improved varieties of these crops have been released for cultivation in various countries, jointly developed by ICARDA and national partners.