Horsegram A Traditional Food Legume for Ensuring Nutritional security in Uttarakhand hills

Abstract

Horsegram posseses excellent therapeutic properties and is traditionally used to cure kidney stones, asthma, bronchitis, leucoderma, urinary discharges, heart diseases and piles etc. by rural unprivileged masses. It is an integral part of the local cuisine of Uttarakhand hills and "locally grown Gahat" fetches higher market prices as well as has huge market potential. Presently, production level of such a valuable crop is much below the sustainability line because it is mainly cultivated by resource poor marginal farmers using traditional cultivars with least care and inputs. Its replacement by other remunerative crops is also a matter of great concern. So there is an urgent need to draw attention of growers, consumers and researchers towards this legume as its nutritional and remedial potential are under exploited.