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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370735
Research Project: Pulse Crop Health Initiative

Location: Sugarbeet and Potato Research

Title: The biology of legumes and their agronomic, economic and social impact

Author
item VASCONCELOS, MARTA - Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
item Grusak, Michael
item PINTO, ELISABETE - Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
item GOMES, ANA - Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
item FERREIRA, HELENA - Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
item BALAZS, BALINT - Szent Istvan University
item CENTOFANTI, TIZIANA - Szent Istvan University
item NTATSI, GEORGIA - Agricultural University Of Athens
item SAVVAS, DIMITRIOS - Agricultural University Of Athens
item KARKANIS, ANESTIS - University Of Thessaly
item WILLIAMS, MICHAEL - Trinity College Dublin
item VANDENBERG, ALBERT - University Of Saskatchewan
item TOMA, LUIZA - Sruc-Scotland'S Rural College
item SHRESTHA, SHAILESH - Sruc-Scotland'S Rural College
item AKAICHI, FAICAL - Sruc-Scotland'S Rural College
item BARRIOS, CHRISTIN ORE - Sruc-Scotland'S Rural College
item GRUBER, SABINE - University Of Hohenheim
item JAMES, EUAN - The James Hutton Institute
item MALUK, MARTA - The James Hutton Institute
item KARLEY, ALISON - The James Hutton Institute
item IANNETTA, PETE - The James Hutton Institute

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/2/2020
Publication Date: 7/2/2020
Citation: Vasconcelos, M.W., Grusak, M.A., Pinto, E., Gomes, A., Ferreira, H., Balazs, B., Centofanti, T., Ntatsi, G., Savvas, D., Karkanis, A., Williams, M., Vandenberg, A., Toma, L., Shrestha, S., Akaichi, F., Barrios, C., Gruber, S., James, E.K., Maluk, M., Karley, A., Iannetta, P. 2020. The biology of legumes and their agronomic, economic and social impact. In: Hasanuzzaman, M., Araújo, S., Gill, S.S., editors. The Plant Family Fabaceae: Biology and Physiological Responses to Environmental Stresses. Singapore: Springer. p. 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4752-2_1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4752-2_1

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Intensive agriculture and meat-based westernized diets have brought a heavy environmental burden to the planet. Legumes, or pulses, are members of the large Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family, which comprise about 5% of all plant species. They are ancient crops whose popularity both for farmers and consumers has gone through several stages of acceptance, and in recent years, legumes have regained their lustre. This is due to a global understanding that: 1. farming systems need to promote biodiversity; 2. biological nitrogen fixation is an important tool to reduce the application of external chemical inputs, namely in the form of nitrogen fertilizers, and that 3. plant-based foods have fewer adverse environmental effects per unit weight, per serving, per unit of energy, or per protein weight than do animal source foods, across various environmental indicators. Legumes play a key role in answering these three global challenges, and are pivotal actors in the diversification and sustainable intensification of agriculture, particularly in light of new and urgent challenges such as climate change. In this chapter, we showcase the importance of legumes as contemporary agents of change, whose impacts start in the field, but then branch out into competitive global economies, modernized societies, and ultimately, improved food security and human health.