Pbg-605-Lecture 3 Botanical Description of Pulses

Botanical Description of Pulses
PBG- 605
Pulses
• Pulse crops are members of the family Leguminosae or
Fabaceae. Pulses grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes,
sizes and colors. Pulse crops are members of the family
Leguminosae or Fabaceae
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
recognizes 11 types of pulses: dry beans, dry broad beans, dry
peas, chickpeas, cow peas, pigeon peas, lentils, Bambara beans,
vetches, lupins and pulses nes (not elsewhere specified – minor
pulses that don’t fall into one of the other categories).
Why Pulses
• Pulse crops are considered as environmentally friendly due to
their ability to form symbiotic associations with nitrogen-fixing
Rhizobium bacteria in their taproot systems. The fixed nitrogen
in the soil is available to the subsequent crop.
• Inclusion of pulse crops in the crop sequence reduces disease
incidence in crops that follow a pulse crop.
• Pulses are healthy, nutritious and easy to cook with.
• Growing pulses also promotes sustainable agriculture, as pulse

crops help decrease greenhouse gases, increase soil health, and
use less water than other crops.
Fruit of pulse crop
• The fruit of a pulse crop is a pod containing one to several
seeds, which are high in protein, carbohydrates, fibre,
minerals and vitamins (folate). Consumption of pulses as part
of a regular diet may offer numerous health benefits including
reduced risk of diabetes and heart diseases.
Sub-Families of Leguminosae
• The Leguminosae family is classified into three sub-families:
Papilionoideae, Caesalpinioideae, and Mimosoideae. Each
sub-family is identified by its flowers.
• Edible legume crops are mainly found in the sub-family
Papilionoideae. This includes the soybean, chickpea, bean, and
pea, among others .
• Other lesser known members of the legume family include
clover, licorice, lentils, and the peanut. The peanut is in fact,
biologically though not culinarily, defined as a woody,
indehiscent legume
• Unique to Fabaceae are the flowers and fruit. Like many
flowers, those found on legume plants are hermaphroditic,
containing both the stamen and pistil. This makes the plants
self fertile
• However, hybridization occurs frequently in nature due to this
characteristic, as any plant can pollinate another due to the
hermaphroditic properties
flower
• The flower typically has five petals and an ovary with one carpel, cavity, and style. The
distinctive nature of the flowers is not in the parts but in the shape of the parts.
• The petals of the legume plant are shaped into a cup.
• One large petal, the 'banner' or 'standard' folds over the rest for protection. In front of
this petal are two narrower petals called 'wings,' between which two other petals unite.
Due to their shape these petals are referred to as the keel. Within that fold are the
stamens and pistil . After pollination the flower will die and reveal the growing ovary
which becomes the pod.
Fruit
• The distinctive fruit principally grows into a pod that contains
the seeds of the plant.
• The legume pod is a one-celled seed container formed by two
sealed parts called valves.
• . However, not all pods are shaped the same. The thickness,
length, curve, and fleshy nature of the pods can vary between
species. In addition, some pods are winged or indehiscent
(meaning the pods do not split open at maturity)
• Colors of flowers and seeds vary greatly from white to scarlet
to blue.
BEANS
• Beans are found in a number of genera under the Leguminosae
family. The most prominently cultivated of these are the genera
Phaseolus, Vigna, Vicia, and Glycine
• Phaseolus are the species tepary bean, runner bean, lima bean
and common or pinto bean.
• Vigna species include the moth bean, azuki bean, urad bean,
mung bean, rice bean, and cowpea under which label both
black-eyed pea and yard long bean fall.
• The Vicia genus only contains the broad or fava bean (faba).
• The Glycine genus contains only the soybean

Beans…..
• Considering this large array of species it is not surprising that
the growth strategy of beans vary. All wild bean species have
runners, as well as some domesticated bean species. The vines
climb available trees, poles, or walls, and are known to grow
up to twelve feet or more. These are known as pole or garden
beans
• Some beans grow on short plants and are known as bush or
field beans. In all types, the distinctive pods typically grow to
five or six inches long
The Cultivation of Legumes
• Legumes can be divided into two categories according to their
cultivation growth techniques:
• Dwarf or bush varieties (which do not require climbing
support and mature early), and
• The climbing varieties (which take longer to mature and
require support, yet are characteristic of a longer bearing
season)
Seed germination
• The series of events that occur after seed germination are
similar in all legume varieties.
• After water has been taken up by the seed, the coat bursts and
the root starts downward growth into the soil. The hypocotyls
then elongate and bend, forming a hook which is forced
upwards through the soil. The cotyledons and shoot apex are
then raised above the ground by a gradual straightening of the
hypocotyls

Pbg-605-Lecture 3 Botanical Description of Pulses

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pbg-605-Lecture 3 Botanical Description of Pulses

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pbg-605-Lecture 3 Botanical Description of Pulses

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Botanical Description of Pulses

• Growing pulses also promotes sustainable agriculture, as pulse

• The Glycine genus contains only the soybean

You might also like