ENHANCING ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE IN HYACINTH BEAN (LABLAB PURPUREUS. L)

Abstract

Among various food and fibre crops, the crop legumes are the key sources of protein, minerals, vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. The importance of these legumes is higher where a large section of the society depends on vegetarian food such as in India. The unique ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen by the legume crops play a crucial role in sustaining the farming system by making available the residual nitrogen to the non-legume crops. Legumes also serve as an excellent source of high quality and nutritious feed to livestock leading to ∼20% increase in animal productivity (Tarawali and Ogunbile 1995). The human civilization has a long association with legume cultivation in the last 6000 years which has contributed significantly toward economical, nutritional, and improving the livelihood of subsistence farmers across the world. Indian bean or hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab L. or Lablab purpureus L.) is a twining herbaceous crop legume with 2n = 22 chromosomes belonging to family Fabaceae which is being maneuverer for various purposes such as a green vegetable, pulse, soil improvement and protection, forage and weed control (Rai et al. 2016). The wild forms of Indian bean are believed to have originated in India and were introduced into Africa from South East Asia during the eighth century. Outside India, hyacinth bean is prevalent in Africa, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania (Maass et al. 2010) and have been called by various common names such as poor man bean and tanage bean in England, rongaidolichos and lablab bean in Australia, betas in Philippines, lubiaafin in Sudan, hyacinth bean in Brazil and in India(Gibbs et al. 2008).