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Food legumes in cropping systems and farmers participatory approaches

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/5592/
 
Title Food legumes in cropping systems and farmers participatory approaches
 
Creator Dar, W D
Pande, S
Keatinge, J D H
 
Subject Food legumes
Genetics and Genomics
Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
 
Description Food legumes or pulses are an important component of cropping systems and provide an
opportunity to increase food supplies, particularly in the developing world, in a sustainable
way, through intensifying and diversifying agricultural systems. Food legumes are more
positive crops, in terms of resource conservation, than cereals and a rotation of food legumes
with cereals makes cereal production more economic and sustainable. In the developing
world legumes is a major source of nutrition for the poor. However, in the past three decades
the production of food legumes has-gradually fallen in comparison
,
with a rapid growth in
cereals, and livestock products. Yields of the majority of the legumes have stagnated as they
have been relegated to more marginal and unfavorable environments; and no major yield
breakthroughs have been apparent . Concurrently, the first generation of Green Revolution
Technologies used to increase food production are being reduced in effectiveness and have
become unable economically to sustain the present, or desired increased levels in productivity.
This is due, in part, to the increasing dominance of monocropping with cereals and the
subsequent displacement of legumes. The role of food legumes as a key component of
second-generation green revolution technologies is therefore crucial and timely. Large
variations in yields are presently experienced which is compounded by intense biotic and
abiotic stresses, and an inadequate supporting policy environment. We review the potential
role of legumes in cropping systems in developing countries and make little effort to
distinguish between cool and warm-season pulses as trends in supply and demand have been similar and most factors influence both types of pulses. Recent examples of
diversification of cereal based cropping system emphasizing farmer participatory approaches
are discussed.
 
Date 2005
 
Type Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
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Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/5592/1/ProceedingsFIFLRC_763-786_2005.pdf
Dar, W D and Pande, S and Keatinge, J D H (2005) Food legumes in cropping systems and farmers participatory approaches. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Food Legumes Research Conference, 18-22 Oct 2005, New Delhi, India.