Lathyrus Sativus Research Articles

Non-invasive methods to assess seed quality based on ultra-weak photon emission and delayed luminescence.

Seed quality is the set of physical, genetic, and physiological characteristics, reflecting the overall germination potential. Maintaining an optimal seed quality is essential for agriculture and seed banks to preserve genetic diversity. Compared to conventional methods (e.g., germination tests), non-invasive approaches allow a more sustainable and rapid evaluation of seed quality but this is limited by high costs. The measurement of ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) and delayed fluorescence (DL), defined as biological phenomena potentially related to the physiological status of living systems, may represent a suitable approach to estimate seed quality. To test this hypothesis, seeds of five agriculturally relevant legume species (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Lathyrus sativus L., Cicer arietinum L., Pisum sativum L., and Vicia faba L.), stored at different conditions (room temperature or -18°C) for several years, were analysed using a LIANA© prototype to collect data regarding DL and UPE occurring after UV excitation. The obtained data were integrated with germination parameters which underline species-specific behaviours in response to storage conditions. The prediction models show variable efficiency in classifying seeds based on germination which underline species-dependent links between photon emission and seed quality. Therefore, these measurements represent novel, non-invasive, and rapid approaches to evaluate seed quality.

Wild Lathyrus—A Treasure of Novel Diversity

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a climate-smart legume crop with adaptation to fragile agroecosystems. The genus Lathyrus is recognized for its vast genetic diversity, encompassing over 160 species, many of which are cultivated for various purposes across different regions of the world. Among these, Lathyrus sativus is widely cultivated as food, feed, and fodder in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) regions. Its global cultivation has declined substantially due to the stigma posed by the presence of neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in its seeds and green foliage. Overconsumption for a longer period of grasspea seeds harvested from landraces may lead to a neurological disorder called neurolathyrism in humans. ODAP is an obstacle for grasspea expansion, but crop wild relatives (CWRs) have been found to offer a solution. The incorporation of CWRs, particularly Lathyrus cicera, and landraces into breeding programs may reduce the ODAP content in grasspea varieties to a safer level. Recent advances in genomics-assisted breeding have expanded the potential for utilizing challenging CWRs to develop grasspea varieties that combine ultra-low ODAP levels with improved yield, stability, and adaptability. Further progress in omics technologies—such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—along with genome sequencing and editing, has greatly accelerated the development of grasspea varieties with reduced or zero ODAP content, while also enhancing the plant’s agronomic value. This review highlights the significance of utilizing CWRs in pre-breeding programs, and harnessing advanced tools and technologies to enhance the performance, adaptability, and resilience of grasspea in response to changing environmental conditions.

Influence of Grass Pea Residues Extract on Weed Control Efficacy and Performance of Boro Rice

The agriculture sector is constantly adopting environmentally friendly and sustainable methods to reduce the harmful effects of herbicides on crop production. In this respect, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory (AFL), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh to assess the allelopathic effects of grass pea crop residues on weed suppression and the growth performance of Boro rice from December 2021 to May 2022. The experiment consisted of four cultivars of Boro rice i.e. BAU dhan3, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan81, BRRI dhan96 along with four different treatments of weed control viz. no extract and no weeding (control), hot water extract of Grass pea residues as pre-emergence application at 3 DAT (days after transplanting), hot water extract of Grass pea residues as pre-emergence application at 3 DAT+ post- emergence at 10 DAT, hand weeding 3 times at 15, 30 and 45 DAT. The highest weed growth was noticed when no extract was added and the lowest was found when three times hand weeding was performed. The highest number of effective tillers (NET) hill-1, number of spikelets panicle-1 (NSP) and grain yield (GY), straw yield (SY) and biological yield (BY) were recorded from the rice variety BAU dhan3. The highest NET hill-1, NSP, 1000-grain weight (TGW), GY, SY and BY were recorded from three hand weeding which was followed by hot water extract of grass pea as pre-emergence application at 3 DAT+ post-emergence application at 10 DAT. From the interaction it is observed that the highest NET hill-1, NSP, SY and BY were obtained from BAU dhan3 with three hand weeding which was followed by BAU dhan3 with hot water extract of grass pea as pre-emergence application at 3 DAT+ post-emergence application at 10 DAT. The findings of this study reveal that hand weeding, followed by the application of grass pea crop residues, effectively suppresses weed growth. Our research suggested leveraging the allelopathy-weed inverse relationship to address weed problems. This approach holds significant promise for weed management in the twenty-first century. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 22(3):360-368, 2024

Combined hot water extract of lentil and grass pea increase weed control efficiency and yield of boro rice

The agriculture sector is continuously adopting environmentally friendly and sustainable methods to reduce the harmful effects of herbicides on crop production. In this context, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory (AFL), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, from December 2021 to May 2022, to investigate the effect of combined hot water extracts of lentil and grass peas (ELG) on weed control efficiency and yield performance of boro rice. The experiment involved four varieties of boro rice (BAU dhan3, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan81, and BRRI dhan96) and four treatments of crop residues. For most weed species, varieties and crop residue extracts significantly impacted weed population (WP) and weed dry weight (DW). The highest numbers of effective tillers (NET) hill-1, numbers of spikelets panicle-1 (NSP), 1000-grain weight (TGW), grain yield (GY), and straw yield (SY) were observed in the three-times hand weeding treatment. This was followed by the combination of hot water ELG applied as a pre-emergence treatment three days after transplanting and post-emergence ten days after transplanting, with the lowest values found in the no-extract treatment. Considering interaction effects, the highest GY (7.07 t ha-1) and SY (8.23 t ha-1) were observed with hand weeding combined with the variety BAU dhan3. The results of this study indicated that hand weeding, followed by the combined application ELG crop residue, showed potential activity to suppress WP and significantly affected the yield of boro rice.

Quantitative analysis of β-ODAP neurotoxin among different varieties of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) flour: A comparative study

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), a protein-rich pulse crop, is often overlooked due to its association with neurolathyrism and its neurotoxin, β-ODAP. The study aims to compare the β-ODAP content, chemical, and functional properties of four BARI varieties and two local varieties of grass pea seed flour. The findings presented that the β-ODAP content of BARI varieties grass pea flour was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than local varieties, and the least amount of β-ODAP was found in BARI-3 varieties (0.086 %), which is below the safe level (0.15 %) for consumption. The safe level of neurotoxin was also found in the BARI-1 variety (0.13 %), but local varieties grass pea flour of Pabna and Tangail showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) value of 0.39 and 0.49 % β-ODAP content, respectively. There were no significant differences in protein content among BARI and local varieties, with the highest value of 26.58 % protein content found in the BARI-2 variety. In terms of functional properties, the BARI-5 variety had the highest water absorption capacity (2.92 ml/g) and oil absorption capacity (1.48 ml/g). The grass pea BARI variety, with its high oil absorption capacity and low β-ODAP content, can be utilized in food formulations for bakery products, sausages, and functional ingredients.

Effect of propolis extract-loaded films made of apple pomace pectin and grass pea protein on the shelf life extension of black mulberry

The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of propolis extract (PE) (0, 3, 6, and 12% v/w) on edible films, containing 3% w/v apple pomace pectin and 5% w/v grass peas protein. The structural and morphological properties of the films were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, and SEM analysis, showing higher PE levels led to a more homogeneous and compact structure. Moreover, incorporating PE into the film samples developed their mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, antioxidant, and antimicrobial attributes, particularly against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Botrytis cinerea. In addition, the 12% PE film exhibited the highest water vapor and oxygen barrier abilities of 3.57 × 10−10 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 and 1.43 meq/Kg, respectively. Furthermore, the film solutions with the same PE concentrations were applied as coatings to extend black mulberry shelf life. Results revealed that PE-enriched coatings decreased the weight loss and fungal contamination of the fruits during the storage. Specifically, the 12% PE-coated samples showed ABTS radical scavenging activity of 90.22%, total yeast and mold count of 3.11 log CFU g−1, and superior sensorial properties after 18 days of storage. Accordingly, the 12% PE coating was identified as the most effective, preserving postharvest attributes of fruits and prolonging their shelf life until 18 days at 4 °C. Overall, these results suggested that the apple pomace pectin, grass pea protein, and PE can be efficiently used as a promising natural substitute for food packaging to develop the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of films and coatings with various applications in food products.

Superabsorbent Polymer Reduces β-ODAP Content in Grass Pea by Improving Soil Water Status and Plant Drought Tolerance

Superabsorbent Polymer Reduces β-ODAP Content in Grass Pea by Improving Soil Water Status and Plant Drought Tolerance

An Emerging Disease of Chickpea, Basal Stem Rot Caused by Diaporthe aspalathi in China.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. An emerging disease, basal stem rot with obvious wilt symptoms, was observed in the upper part of chickpea plants during the disease survey in Qiubei County of Yunnan Province. Three fungal isolates (ZD36-1, ZD36-2, and ZD36-3) were obtained from the diseased tissue of chickpea plants collected from the field. Those isolates were morphologically found to be similar to Diaporthe aspalathi. Molecular sequence analyses of multiple gene regions (ITS, tef1, tub2, cal, and his3) indicated that the three isolates showed a high identity with D. aspalathi. Pathogenicity and host range tests of the isolates were performed on the original host chickpea and eight other legume crops. The isolates were strongly pathogenic to chickpea and appeared highly pathogenic to soybean, cowpea, and mung bean; moderated or mild pathogenic to adzuki bean and common bean; however, the isolates did not cause symptoms on grass pea (Lathyrus sativus). Diaporthe aspalathi was previously reported as a main pathogen causing the southern stem canker in soybean. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. aspalathi inducing basal stem rot on chickpea worldwide.

INFESTATION RATE OF RICE WEEVIL ON SELECTED INDIGENOUS STORED GRAINS

Rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae Lin. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is economically significant and known as a ubiquitous pest in Bangladesh as well as throughout the world. In this study, the infestation rate by this pest was assessed throughout the year on twelve common indigenous cereal grains and pulses, namely boiled and nonboiled rice, wheat, barley, maize, felon, pea, grass pea, lentil, chickpea, black gram and mung bean. There were significant differences in the infestation rate among the months and in the susceptibility among grains over the year. The highest percentage of weight loss over the year was found in chickpea (84.56%) and the lowest percentage of weight loss was found in black gram (7.09%). The chronological position of the experimental grains according to their percentages of weight loss was chickpea &gt; wheat &gt; barley &gt; maize &gt; nonboiled rice &gt; pea &gt; boiled rice &gt; grass pea &gt; lentil ≥ mung bean &gt; felon &gt; black gram. The highest infestation occurs at the temperature range of 32-35o C and during the month of April-June.

Current Status of Haploidization in Cool-Season Grain Legume Crop Species

Doubled haploid technology is, so far, the fastest route to induce a true homozygous state in plants. True homozygous plants are particularly important for breeders, as they can facilitate hybrid breeding and are useful in fixing traits in a breeding line. Fabaceae species are of great importance in food and feed production; however, they are far behind other families with respect to the development of effective haploidization protocols. Here, we present the most recent status of research on haploidization protocols in cool-season grain legume crops, including dry peas, chickpeas, faba beans, lentils, lupines, and grass peas. The first four species are primarily for human consumption; the latter are utilized as forage. All the mentioned species have been subject to haploidization trials; however, repeatable protocols, including the regeneration of confirmed haploid or doubled haploid plants, have not been elaborated. Research in field pea, chickpea, grass pea, and lupine is promising, with the reported regeneration of microspore-derived embryos in all four species. Repeatable plant regeneration has been reported only in field peas and chickpeas. The most recent achievements on haploidization through male and female gametophytes in faba bean are also presented. The key factors for the effective stimulation of haploid cell development in cool-season legumes are reviewed, providing a useful basis for future efforts toward haploidization in this group.

Influence of climatic factors on spatio-temporal variabilities in the occurrence of aflatoxins in major food grains available at retail shops in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, little is known about the role of climatic factors influencing spatio-temporal occurrence among different food grains of aflatoxins, which have been linked to liver cancer cases and other health hazards. In this study, 252 food grain samples of 10 types were collected from retail markets at 18 districts, pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons during February-September, 2018. Occurrence and concentration of total aflatoxins in the samples were analysed by a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and compared with climatic data (temperature, humidity, rainfall, and sunshine hours). Contamination of aflatoxins was found in approx. 38% (n=96) of the total samples, with highest occurrence in groundnuts (82%), followed by corn grains (70%), chick pea (54.5%), wheat grain (50%) and green gram (42.9%). Aflatoxins occurrence was moderate in split chick pea (30.8%), yellow pea (28.2%), black gram (27.8%), and lentils (27.6%), while the lowest in grass pea (17.6%). Aflatoxins concentration was found to exceed the European Union permissible limit (≤5 µg kg-1) in 33 (13.1%) samples. Overall, approximately 5.6%, 7.5%, and 25.0% samples were contaminated with high (10-19 ppb), medium (5-9 ppb) and low (1-4 ppb) concentrations of aflatoxins, respectively. High level concentration of aflatoxins was more frequent in groundnut (36%) and wheat grain (20%), in comparison to other types. Occurrence of aflatoxins during pre-monsoon was detected among 21% (19/91) samples, which increased to ca. 30% (36/119) during monsoon, and 98% (41/42) during post-monsoon. However, aflatoxins mean concentration during post-monsoon was comparatively low than the other seasons. Variations in aflatoxins monthly prevalence correlated significantly with relative humidity (p ≤ 0.01) and rainfall (p≤ 0.05), when a 1-month time lag was considered. Therefore, predisposing climatic conditions, i.e., rainfall incidences and persistence of higher relative humidity in the previous month(s), have salient influence on aflatoxins occurrence, potentially impacting both pre-harvest and stored food grains. This study underscores the need of a more holistic monitoring of aflatoxins in agricultural products for a longer term, and adoption of proper intervention measures for food grains while being stored and before consumption. Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2024, 8(2), 32-47

Deciphering genotype-by-environment interaction of grass pea genotypes under rain-fed conditions and emphasizing the role of monthly rainfall

Rainfed regions have inconsistent spatial and temporal rainfall. So, these regions could face water deficiency during critical stages of crop growth. In this regard, multi-environment trials could play a key role in introducing stable genotypes with good performance across several rainfed regions. Grass pea, as a potential forage crop, is a resilient plant that could grow in unsuitable circumstances. In this study, agro-morphological attributes of 16 grass pea genotypes were examined in four semi-warm rain-fed regions during the years 2018–2021. The MLM analysis of variance showed a significant genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) for dry yield, seed yield, days to maturity, days to flowering, and plant height of grass pea. The PLS (partial least squares) regression revealed that rainfall in the grass pea establishment stage (October and November) is meaningful. For grass pea cultivation, monthly rainfall during plant growth is important, especially in May, with an aim for seed yield. Regarding dry yield, G5, G10, G11, G12, G13, and G15 were selected as good performers and stable genotypes using DY × WAASB biplots, while SY × WAASB biplot manifested G2, G3, G12, and G13 as superior genotypes with stable seed yield. Considering equal weights for yield as well as the WAASB stability index (50/50), G13 was selected as the best one. Among test environments, E2 and E11 played a prominent role in distinguishing the above genotypes from other ones. In this study, MTSI (multi-trait stability index) analysis was applied to select a stable genotype, considering all measured agro-morphological traits simultaneously. Henceforth, the G5 and G15 grass pea genotypes were discerningly chosen due to their commendable performance in the WAASBY plot. In this context, G13 did not emerge as the winner based on MTSI; however, it exhibited an MTSI value in close proximity to the outer boundary of the circle. Consequently, upon comprehensive consideration of all traits, it is deduced that G5, G13, and G15 can be appraised as promising superior genotypes with stability across diverse environmental conditions.

Evaluation of salinity-mediated end-point cytogenotoxicity in Germinating Roots of Lathyrus sativus L., Variety Mahatora.: Bio-assay guided biomarker studies

Pulse crops are susceptible to salt stress as per different research reports but how far Lathyrus sativus L., responds to increasing salinity has been taken up in this work. Thus, the harmful effects of increasing salinity on plant cells at various phases of chromosomal integrity and nucleolus morphology have been evaluated in Lathyrus sativus L., variety Mahatora. Lathyrus sativus variety Mahatora seeds were subjected to seed priming with serially diluted concentrations of NaCl (500, 400, 300, 200 and 100 mM respectively) and germination percentage (72 hrs), root length inhibition (7 days) normal and abnormal MI (Mitotic Index) with 2% aceto-orcein staining, nucleolar morphometric cum frequency analysis (0.05% hematoxylin), total protein, POX and Electrolyte leakage from etiolated roots and root metabolic activity/dehydrogenase activity were measured (TTC staining). From 200 mM onwards, significant reduction in germination percentage and root length inhibition resulted and at 300 and 400 mM salt-priming significant reduction in normal MI%, increased Abnormal MI% showing both aneugenic and clastogenic responses were accounted. At 500 mM pre-exposed root tip cells were found to develop gradual blackening and root tip death and very less viable cells with highly necrotic, vacuolated with chromosomal erosions and nuclear dismantling and nuclear blobbing resulted apoptosis in addition to decreased POX and dehydrogenase activity (300–500 mM NaCl-treated test sets). NaCl stands out as a potential cyto-genotoxicant in Lathyrus sativus L., variety Mahatora. The maximum tolerance level (200–300 mM) and at 400–500 mM NaCl has been highly cytotoxic as per cytological and biochemical data. From 200 mM onwards, nucleolar volume and frequency were altered and at 500 mM pretreatment complete degradation of nuclear machinery was encountered. Out of salinity significant proportions of C-mitosis and polyploidy showing NaCl has a disruptive action in spindle fibre formation that in turn produced somatic diads and subsequent polyploidy formations (At 200 to 300 mM).

The Response of Early-Maturing Grass Pea (Lathyrus Sativus) Genotypes to Different Levels of Salinity Stress

The Response of Early-Maturing Grass Pea (Lathyrus Sativus) Genotypes to Different Levels of Salinity Stress

Diversity, conservation and utilization of grain legumes: A potential source for food and nutritional security in Nepal

Grain legumes are precious crops of Nepal in terms of the dietary protein supplement ample concentration of micronutrients, and role in crop intensification and ameliorating soil fertility. About 11% of the cultivated area is occupied by grain legumes that include lentil, chickpea, grasspea, fieldpea, fababean, pigeonpea, soybean, blackgram, horsegram, ricebean, cowpea, and mungbean. About 100 genera and 379 species of legumes are distributed in diverse agroecological zones ranging from terai to the alpine region of Nepal, with growth habits ranging from annual to perennial shrubs. Out of the 379 species of legumes which include grain, vegetable, and forage legumes, 262 are native, and 20 species belonging to the sub-group Papilionacae are used as food legumes. Highest food legume species diversity has been recorded in Macrotyloma (34 spp.), followed by Crotalaria (18 spp.), Vigna (15 spp.), Lathyrus (7 spp.), Vicia (6 spp.), Cajanus (5 spp.), Trigonella (5 spp.) and Phaseolus (4 spp.). Other genus having 1-3 species includes Cicer (3 spp.), Mukuna (3 spp.), Glycine (2 spp.), Canavila (2 spp.), Pisum (2 spp.), Lablab (2 spp.), Pachyrrhizus (1 sp.), Psophocarpus (1 sp.), Lens (1 sp.) and Cyamopsis (1 sp.). Research on grain legumes was initiated in 1976 and a systematic collection of grain legume landraces was done in 1987 by the Grain Legumes Research Program (GLRP). Past collection missions organized in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and other institutes have resulted in the collection of 1107 landraces and provided an opportunity for their inclusion in the variety improvement program. National Agricultural Genetic Resources Center (NAGRC) has conserved 2936 landraces of different legumes, 951 landraces have been kept in gene banks of ICARDA center, while GLRP Khajura has active collections of 218 landraces and 627 exotic germplasm of various legume crops. Varietal improvement programs resulted in the development of 51 varieties, while 6 varietes were registered and two varieties were de-notified in food legumes (lentil, chickpea, soybean, cowpea, black gram, mungbean, pigeon pea, rice bean, faba bean, grass pea, and kidney bean).

Оценка исходного материала и идеатип чины посевной в засушливых условиях нижнего Поволжья РФ

The results of screening of a model population of the Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) are presented. The results of the study made it possible to establish the manifestations of the parameters of selection traits and their variability in the model population in the arid conditions of the Lower Volga region of the Russian Federation. The magnitude of the influence of factors on the manifestation of traits (genotype, growing conditions, interaction of factors) and their contribution to the overall variability has been established. Forms with high values of crop structure elements were identified: by the number of beans per plant, by the number of seeds per plant, by the mass of 1000 seeds, by seed yield (1,80-2,27 t/ha), by green mass yield (14,29 -21,77 t/ha). The parameters of the ideal type of grasspea variety adapted for cultivation in regions with arid climates are presented. Keywords: GRASSPEA, FACTOR, CONTENT, PARAMETER, YIELD

Effect of Fungal and Fungal-Bacterial Tempe-Type Fermentation on the Bioactive Potential of Grass Pea Seeds and Flaxseed Oil Cake Mix.

Tempe is an Indonesian food product traditionally obtained from soybeans through solid-state fermentation with Rhizopus. A variety of substrates can be processed into tempe in the presence of other microorganisms. In this study, grass pea seeds with the addition of flaxseed oil cake (20% w/w) were either fermented using individual mould strains-Rhizopus oryzae, R. oligosporus, and Mucor indicus-or cofermented with the moulds and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. In the obtained products, the content of dietary fibre, B group vitamins, and the level of peptides and antioxidant potential in aqueous extracts were measured. Moreover, peptides, angiotensin I convertase inhibitor, and antioxidant activity were determined after in vitro digestion. The effect of digestates on the differentiation of enterocytes was also investigated. Fermentation generally resulted in a decrease in the dietary fibre, especially the insoluble fraction (30-50%). The product obtained with R. oryzae was the best source of riboflavin and thiamine among all tested. The fermentation process promoted the accumulation of water-soluble peptides and antioxidant compounds. After in vitro digestion, the largest amount of antioxidant and antiradical compounds was released from tempe obtained with R. oryzae. However, the enrichment of the products with antioxidants resulting from solid-state fermentation did not simply translate into an improvement in antioxidant potential after digestion. Generally, fermentation carried out in the presence of L. plantarum brought positive effects only in the case of R. oligosporus DSM 1964. Digestion products obtained from R. oryzae tempe had a positive effect on the viability of Caco-2 cells differentiated into enterocytes. Interestingly, a higher activity of differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase and sucrase-isomaltase) was observed under the influence of digestate of R. oryzae and L. plantarum tempe.

Review on Pretreatment Techniques of Grass Pea Seeds for Reduction of Antinutritional Factors and β-Diaminopropionic (β-ODAP) Contents from Seeds

Grass peas are one of the most nutritious foods and are widely harvested and consumed in many developing countries. They are an inexpensive source of protein and contain large amounts of essential amino acids. The potential of grass peas to improve food security, nutrition and household income generation remains largely untapped. However, the naturally occurring amino acid β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) leads to limited neurotoxic activity. Lathyrus sativus β-ODAP exists in two isomers (α and β isomers) in nature. The α isomer accounts for approximately 5% of the total ODAP content and is less toxic, but the β isomer is also more toxic. Decreased β-ODAP levels through food processing such as overnight soaking, cooking bean sprouts, fermentation, and roasting. Most food pretreatment processing methods can effectively improve the nutritional quality of grass bean grains and reduce anti-nutritional factors. Grass peas, a variety of traditionally treated seeds, serve as a staple food for poor farmers in countries such as Ethiopia and are primarily consumed during times of drought and famine. Grass pea seeds are valued as a nutritious staple food and feed plant mainly due to their high protein content.

Differences of waterlogging tolerance in winter pulse crop between emergence and vegetative stages

AbstractPulse production is decreased when grown on waterlogged soil in rice‐based cropping. This study evaluated four pulse crops—grass pea, field pea, cowpea and lentil—to find out their responses to waterlogging (WL) stress at emergence and vegetative stages. The treatment levels at emergence were drained control, 4‐, 7‐ and 10‐day WL, while in the vegetative stage they were drained control, 6‐, 10‐ and 14‐day WL. In the emergence stage, %emergence was significantly reduced as WL duration increased. After 10‐day WL, emergence was reduced to 65% for grass pea, 30% for field pea, 5% for lentil and 7% for cowpea. At the vegetative stage, in both the WL and recovery phases, the WL treatment reduced plant height, tap root length, shoot and root dry mass compared to those in drained control with a significant difference in crops. In recovery as compared to the WL phase at 14‐day WL, the chlorophyll content was increased 15% in cowpea and 14% in grass pea but decreased in field pea (26%) and lentil (35%). Similarly, in the recovery phase at 14‐day WL, shoot relative growth rates (RGRs) of cowpea, grass pea, field pea and lentil were 20, 66, 10 and 5 mg plant−1 d−1; which were 66%, 70%, 8% and 14% of drained control, respectively. The RGR of root at 14‐day WL was also higher in cowpea and grass pea with the rate of 13.8 and 16 mg−1 plant−1 d−1, respectively; in sharp contrast to a reduction of −4.3 mg−1 plant−1 d−1 in field pea and −3.9 mg−1 plant−1 d−1 for lentil than drained control. Furthermore, the higher number of adventitious roots was found in cowpea (14) and grass (9) pea than in field pea (6) and lentil (4). Comparison between growth stages, grass pea was tolerant to WL in both stages. Cowpea was WL sensitive at emergence, but tolerant to vegetative stage. Field pea was moderately tolerant to emergence but was sensitive at vegetative stage. Lentil was sensitive at WL at both stages. These novel insights will allow the fitting of winter pulses to various cropping systems according to the perceived risk of WL at various growth stages.

Growth, Yield and water use efficiency of Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) as influenced by Phosphorus, Micronutrients and organics in new alluvial zone of West Bengal

A field experiment was conducted to study the crop growth, yield and WUE of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) as influenced by phosphorus, micronutrients and organics in rice soils during rabi season of 2020-21 at the Teaching Farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mondouri, Nadia under New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal. The experiment was carried out taking ten different nutrient management practices with three replications in randomized block design to evaluate the performance of lathyrus. The results of the experiment revealed that lathyrus plot fertilized with the recommended dose of fertilizer along with foliar application of Borax @ 0.5% recorded the highest plant height, number of branches plant-1, dry matter accumulation, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod and 100-seed weight. Maximum seed yield (1450 kg ha-1), stover yield (2513 kg ha-1) and highest WUE (10.00 kg ha-1 mm-1) were recorded by the plot treated with RDF+ Borax @ 0.5%.With respect to quality parameters, the seed protein content was highest (31.18%) in the plot fertilized with RDF along with ammonium molybdate @ 0.1%. Therefore, it may be concluded from the results of the experiment that the combined use of RDF with Borax @ 0.5% application in grass pea is one of the best option for better production in terms of quality and quantity for cultivation in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal.