Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Dear Teodardo,

Thanks for your presentation in the webinar. I was and am involved in the insect- plant interactions, allelochemicals/ toxic compounds in plants (that is very important for pulses) and interaction of these toxics with detoxifying enzymes in lower/ higher animals. Since pulses are very important part of human food I think we need to go deeply to these aspects of pulses to discover better use of them but also to avoid some toxic ones.

Best regards,

Ahmad Mahdavi, Professor Emeritus at University of Tehran,

PhD, insect/ pesticides/ environmental regulatory toxicologist,

UNEP focal point for Environmental Education in the University of Tehran.

Dear All,

Under my  knowledge of plant genetic resources for future. I would like to deliver my opinion on this topic as below

Pulses crop species particular and wild plant species of family leguminosea  general are great values in food security and nutrition. Furthermore, they also bring huge and hidden benefits of environment, economics, culture and biological diversity, etc. Therefore, to full potential use of this resources, inventory, conservation, evaluation and exploitation are firstly carried out synchronously in overview and comprehensive strategy, plan, awareness, action and capacity building.

The secondary, global matters today are also required full and responsible participation and cooperation of whole institutions, organization, country, union, association, sector, area, etc. at all levels.  

Finally, benefits sharing amongst parties should be fair and right to international law/ norms. Whereas, benefits of poor and developing countries are conducted and putted in highest priorities.

Thank you for taking time and consideration. 

Best regards,

KIEN

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Mr. Nguyen Van Kien

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Plant Genebank Management Division

Plant Resources Center (PRC)

Address: An Khanh, Hoai Duc, Hanoi, Vietnam

Dear All,

Good day!

Pulses, mostly grown as rainfed crops, are important for protein security and soil revitalisation properties due to symbiotic nitrogen fixtion throughout the world. Major pulses include chickpea or Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum), urdbean or black gram (Vigna mungo), lentil (Lens culinaris), pigeonpea or red gram (Cajanus cajan), mungbean or green gram (Vigna radiata), lablab bean (Lablab purpureus), moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), horse gram (Dolichos uniflorus), pea (Pisum sativum), grass pea or khesari (Lathyrus sativus), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), broad bean or faba bean (Vicia faba) and kidney bean or Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris). Given below are seven point strategies to improve pulse production.

• Availability of quality seeds: Availability of quality seeds of improved cultivars in a village seed bank concept will enhance the productivity.
• Plant nutrition: Pulses generally respond very well to starter dose of nitrogen (20 kg/ha) for enhancing plant uptake when roots are small and thereby promoting early vigor. Placing phosphorusand potassium in the root zone as per STCR approch of yield tagetting based on soil test values (http://www.iiss.nic.in/downloads/stcr%20Crop%20wise%20Recommendations.p…) will help in realising yield based on resource endowment of farmers.
• Check runoff losses: In water scarcity areas, yield of pulses is sensitive to runoff losses. Reducing runoff through mulch and other water conservation approach to enhance the residency period of water in a parcel of land will help in improving pulse production.
• Capacity building: Smallholder farmers, especially women, should be central to all capacity building pogramme for improving pulse production technology.
• Disease and pest: A 2x2 approach by addressing two diseases viz., wilt and root rots and two pests pod borers and pod fly is very important.
• Being mostly grown as rainfed crop, the high risk in production due to vulnerability to weather as well as abiotic and biotic stresses, weather-based price insurance for pulses is a must to encourage farmers to go for pulse production.
• Encouragring PPP in pulse production and introduction of low cost dal mill in a cluster mode will be helpful.

With warm regards,

Pradip Dey

Pulses are important crops in the culinary of some countries but due to policies subzidizing cereals crops, farmers tend to go for monocropping. Another point historically the Interational fund for legume crops were very little while cereals were highly funded.

In Egypt for example each person consumes in average 11.5 kg of faba bean, the current production is far below the requirement to meet the self sufficiency. there is need to increase the production by 55% to meet local self sufficiency of this crops. in some years where is this shortage at international market of faba bean the prices increases in the level of the countries (year 2015-2016 in Egypt) and therefore healthy and balanced food for poor in Egypt is becoming escase.

Lentil prices goes up in importer countries like Sudan and Egypt with very high cost in dollars. so the introduction/or rehabilitation of this crops in Egypt

Countries where there is huge production of the legume crops but no consumption, there is a need to make awareness about the benefit of legume crops in term of reducing heart diseases, lowering cholesterol and presnt colon cancer

Sir;

Ans of 1) Cattle food is yet not recognize as crop. We have to touch this first. Then so forth.

2)Yes, Bangladesh is trying for crop in drought time-this pulse work better.

3)Farmer's problem in Bangladesh-they don't have cash crop idea or information. We have to fisrt include those then a management as company must communicate & service provide to the. FAO can provide investment.

4)This is fit for drought weather. Yes I know it climate change value now need investent.

5)I prefer to but to where if this is the platform then my idea-I'm turning disaster to market. This is a good option for market to help this turning to market. also farmers have cash crops option.

Regards,

Md.Moshfaqur Rahman

Expert on Government, Corporate, Emerging technology, Eco-DRR, EbA & Remote Sensing.

Arunima Apartment, Flat C-3, 36/7/b, shah ali bag ( dhankheter mor), Mirpur-1,

Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. Mobile: +8801817622273

E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]

Public Profile:   http://bd.linkedin.com/pub/moshfaqur-rahman/31/70a/877

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW

Sous le Thème: Les légumineuses sont appréciées en raison de leurs bienfaits sur la santé, l’environnement et l’économie. Comment tirer le meilleur parti de leur potentiel? Nous dirons que :

Les légumineuses : des cultures intéressantes d’un point de vue agro écologique et nutritionnel :

Les légumineuses ont par nature, la capacité à capter l’azote de l’air, à le fixer dans le sol avant de le réutiliser en partie pour leur propre synthèse protéique. Elles permettent donc de fabriquer des protéines et d’enrichir le sol en azote sans apport extérieur d’engrais. A titre d’illustration, on estime qu’une culture de légumineuses précédant une culture de blé permettrait de réduire de 20% l’apport en engrais azoté sur la culture céréalière.

Les légumes secs issus des légumineuses sont des produits riches en protéines végétales de qualité : ils permettent ainsi d’enrichir et de diversifier les apports en protéines chez l’Homme.

En déclarant « 2016 : année internationale des légumineuses », l’Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies a par ailleurs tenu à promouvoir ces qualités auprès des États et de la population mondiale.

Dans sa promotion de lutte contre la  sous-alimentation et la malnutrition  au sein des communautés locales Camerounaise, le centre pour la communication et le développement durable pour tous (CECOSDA) a mené une enquête  concernant la diversité des cultures que les paysans développent dans leurs exploitations. Il en est ressortit que :

La plupart des légumineuses  sont des  plantes attribuées à la famille des Fabaceae comme l’arachide (Arachis hypogaea) est en premier lieu, suivie du soja (Glycine max),  le haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris) et  le niébé (Vigna unguiculata) qui  sont les plus cultivés dans les localités camerounaises. Chaque localité au Cameroun à sa préférence alimentaire sur ces quatre variétés de légumineuses et une parmi elle est un peu plus consommée que l’autre en fonction des cultures et des régions. Dans certaines régions camerounaises comme le Centre l’arachide est la plus consommée des quatre légumineuses les plus cultivé dans le pays. À  l’ouest  nous avons le niébé préparé sous forme de gâteau  que l’on appelle en langue locale le « le KOKI » ou « L’EKOKI » c’est un met très prisé en région BAMILEKE. Au ressort de cette enquête menée par  l’équipe  du CECOSDA, il a été remarque que la consommation des légumines était fonction des habitus alimentaire des communautés. Pour favoriser  une meilleure utilisation de ces denrées  dans le régime alimentaire des populations locales il est important de faire de campagnes sensibilisations, de pourvoir les paysan en   semence tout en leur accompagnant dans le processus de production et de commercialisation.

L’équipe technique du CECOSDA en charge du volet sécurité alimentaire  encourage les ménages des communautés locales  à en consommer comme source de protéine végétale pour lutter contre le braconnage dans les zones réserve forestière du Cameroun. Ce pendant la culture de ces aliments est la plus importante pour ces populations.

La principale difficulté que rencontre la plupart des paysans des communautés repose sur l’obtention des semences et plus particulièrement des semences améliorées à haut niveau de rendement. Parmi  ces difficultés les plus couramment évoqué par les agriculteurs sont:

• Manque  de matériel semencier amélioré et à haut niveau de rendement ;
• Les méthodes de  travailles très rustiques ;
•  la faible mécanisation des systèmes de cultures limite la plupart des exploitations entre un et trois hectares ;
•  manque de bonne connaissance aux méthodes de séchage et stockage après récolte ;  
• Manque de connaissance des circuits de commercialisation ;
• Manque de voie de communication pouvant favoriser l’écoulant de ces produits après récolte.

Ces nombreuses contraintes sont  un frein pour les agriculteurs. Le  CECOSDA en tant organisation œuvrant dans la lutte contre la malnutrition et l’insécurité alimentaire organise  les paysans en  groupe (GIC) pour mieux se faire entendre et les inities dans la rédaction des petits projets qui sont subventionné par l’Etat qui met tout à la disposition des communautés lorsqu’un projet est valider.

D’après plusieurs études, les légumineuses ont la capacité de fixer l’azote atmosphérique et de le redistribuer dans le sol à travers des nodules présents dans leurs racines. La culture des légumineuses rend un grand service à l’environnement et  nécessite une faible fertilisation des engrais chimique et de plus la consommation de ces  plantes peut permettre de couvrir le besoin en protéine  et ainsi de réduire les émissions de GES occasionné par l’élevage.

En ce qui concerne  les recettes à base de légumineuse, l’une des recettes les plus répandues de chez nous est le KOKI fait à base des graines de Niébé (http://www.editions2015.com/cameroun/recette-koki.php ).

Ingrédients

• 1 kg de koki, petits haricots blancs
• 1l d’eau
• 600ml d’huile de palme rouge
• 1 piment
• Feuilles de bananier pour la cuisson

Préparation

• Trempez vos grains de koki dans une grande quantité d’eau durant 6 heures environ
• Retirer les grains de l’eau, les émonder (retirer leur peau) et les réserver
• Préparez vos feuilles de bananier comme pour le gâteau de pistache
• Ecrasez finement les grains de koki (haricots blancs), versez-les dans une terrine
• Faites chauffer votre huile de palme (il s’agit de la liquéfier, pas de la blanchir). Lorsque toute l’huile est liquide et tiède, versez-en la moitié dans votre pate de koki.
• Tournez doucement avec une cuillère, ajoutez le reste d’huile et la moitié de l’eau, mélangez bien la pâte de façon à ce que la couleur soit homogène. Rajoutez le reste d’eau et mélangez à nouveau, la pâte doit être fluide comme une crème
• Parez vos feuilles de bananier comme pour le ngon et versez-y une portion
• Faites cuire 3h à feu moyen
• Le gâteau doit être jaune orange genre mangue mûre. Servez avec des bâtons de manioc.

Regarding the subject: Pulses are valued for their benefits for health, environment and the economy. How to make the most of their potential? We would say:

Pulses: crops of interest from an agro-ecological and nutritional point of view:

Pulses have by nature the capability of taking the nitrogen from the air, and fixing it in the soil before using it in part for their own protein synthesis. They are therefore able to produce proteins and enrich the soil with nitrogen without the external contribution of fertilizers. As an example, it is estimated that a crop of pulses preceding a crop of wheat allows a reduction of 20% in the quantity of nitrogenous fertilizers on the cereal crop.

The dried vegetables coming from pulses are products rich in quality vegetable proteins: they thus make it possible to enrich and diversify the benefits of proteins for human beings.

When 2016 was declared the International Year of Pulses, the UN General Assembly sought moreover to publicize these qualities to the Governments and population of the world.

In its promotion of the fight against undernourishment and malnutrition among Cameroonian local communities, the Center for Communication and Sustainable Development for All (CECOSDA) conducted a survey regarding the diversity of the crops that farmers raise in their cultivations. The results are:

The majority of the pulses are plants of the family of the Fabaceae such as the peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in first place, followed by soyabean (Glycine max), the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) which are the most cultivated in the Cameroonian localities. Each locality in Cameroon has a food preference out of these four varieties of pulses and, one among them is a little more consumed than the others according to the land cultivated and regions. In certain Cameroonian regions like the Centre, peanuts are more consumed of the four pulses most cultivated in the country. In the West, we have the cowpea prepared in the form of a cake which in the local language we call the "KOKI" or the “EKOKI”, it is a product well appreciated in the BAMILEKE region. As a result of this survey carried out by the CECOSDA team, it has been noted that the consumption of pulses was a function of the dietary habits of the communities. To encourage better use of these crops in the dietary regime of the local population it is important to conduct campaigns to raise awareness, to provide seeds to the farmers at the same time, to guide them in the production and commercialization process.

The CECOSDA technical team in charge of the food security dossier encourages the local community households to consume them as a source of vegetable protein in order to fight against poaching in the forest reserves of Cameroon. Nevertheless, the cultivation of these foodstuffs is the most important for the population.

The main difficulty encountered by the majority of community farmers is to find seeds and in particular the improved high yielding seeds. Among their problems, the most commonly raised by the farmers are:

• Lack of improved and high yielding seeds;
• Working methods are very unsophisticated;
• The low level of mechanization of the systems of cultivation restricts the majority of the farms to between one and three hectares;
• Lack of sound knowledge about drying and storage methods post-harvest;  
• Lack of knowledge of marketing channels;
• Lack of means of communication that could encourage the flow of these products after harvesting.

These many restrictions are an obstacle for the farmers. The CECOSDA, as an organization working in the fight against malnutrition and food insecurity, organizes the farmers in groups (GIC) to be heard better and to initiate them in the drafting of small projects that are subsidized by the State,  which puts everything at the disposal of the communities once a project is validated.

As shown by many studies, the pulses have the capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen and to redistribute it in the soil through the nodules that are present in their roots. The cultivation of pulses is of great benefit to the environment and needs only a small amount of chemical fertilizers, and in addition, the consumption of these plants provides for all the protein required and in that way reduces the emissions of GHG caused by rearing livestock.

Regarding recipes based on pulses, one of the most wide spread recipes in our country is KOKI, made using cowpea (http://www.editions2015.com/cameroun/recette-koki.php ).

Ingredients

• 1kg of koki, small white beans
• 1 liter of water
• 600 grams of red palm oil
• 1 pepper
• Banana leaves for cooking

Preparation

• Soak your koki in a large quantity of water for about 6 hours
• Take the grains from the water, peel them and set them aside
• Prepare the banana leaves as though to make a pistachio cake
• Finely crush the koki grains (white beans), pour them into an oven-dish
• Warm up the palm oil (it needs to be liquefied, not clarified). When the oil is liquid and warm, add half of your koki paste.
• Stir gently with a spoon add the rest of the oil and half liter of the water, mix the paste well so that the color is even. Add the rest of the water and mix again, the paste must be fluid as a cream
• Arrange your banana leaves as for a ngon and pour in a portion
• Cook it for about 3 hours over a moderate fire
• The cake should be yellow orange like a ripe mango Serve with sticks of cassava.

Dear participants,

I am very happy that members of this forum are not only expressing their opinions about pulses but are also sharing interesting material about pulses around the world. This information will help us to sharpen the focus of the second half of the 2016 International Year of Pulses.

Participants to this discussion clearly agreed that pulses are of crucial importance for humankind. However, as expressed by Mr. Dhakal, this year should go beyond the raising awareness campaign and work towards helping the most vulnerable farmers. In order to achieve this, research and extension on underutilized pulse species, which in many cases are well adapted to local environmental conditions, should be promoted, as suggested by Prof. KV Peter, and traditional pulse-based dishes that are disappearing should be supported, as pointed out by Prof. Houngbo. In other words, we need to increase the number of pulses that can be grown in marginal areas as suggested by Prof. Howieson.

However, I also believe it is of particular significance to make children realize the importance of pulses, as expressed by Ms. Yesudas; then they will be able to appreciate this kind of food and hopefully this will support dietary shift as noted by Dr. Boyle.

This discussion will be ongoing until 19.06.2016 and therefore we would appreciate if you could keep contributing and extend this invitation to your colleagues.

Teodardo Calles

Technical expert for the online discussion 

Legumes are important in sustainable production of food and feed in the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are important source of good quality protein in the diets of people and are valuable as animal feed. Legumes also increase and sustain the productivity of the soil and in rotation with cereal reduce chances of build-up of diseases, insect pests and obnoxious weeds for the following cereals crops.

Pulse produced in Iran are mostly consumed within the country, usually production is more than sufficient to meet the country’s demand (Sabaghpour, 2015b). The excess food legume production is exported to other countries. Food legumes due to its higher protein content is used in many dishes.

Chickpea, lentil and bean are grown on 550,000, 120,000 and 98000 hectares in Iran (FAO, 2013). Chickpea and lentil areas have ranks fourth and eighth in the world.  Major chickpea and lentil areas (97% and 94%) are planted in rainfed condition and are grown in rotation with cereals mainly wheat and barley. There is high potential areas (about three million hectares) for producing pulses (chickpea and lentil) in dryland areas in rotation wheat and barley under dryland condition. But due to food legume production are more than sufficient, farmers prefer to plant food legume about 670,000 hectares in Iran.

Mean productivity of chickpea and lentil 968 and 1140 kg/ha in world, But are 536 and 608 kg/ha in Iran. The rainfed yield for chickpea and lentil are about 39% and 41% of the irrigated area. These are indications that improving moisture conservation in rainfed area may improve the rainfed yield. Major reason for low productivity of these crops in Iran, is terminal drought stress. Most of the farmers grow chickpea and lentil on marginal areas in the spring season (Sabaghpour, 2015b). In spite of decrease rainfall and unsuitable distribution rainfall but productivity of chickpea and lentil have increased from 482 to 536 and 463 to 608 in last decade due to transfer technology to famer field (Sabaghpour, 2015b). Major areas of beans, faba bean and mungbean are under irrigated field in Iran. Average bean productivity are 791 and 2582 kg/ha in world and Iran respectively (FAO, 2013).

Main challenge for food legume (chickpea and lentil) production are drought, cold, ascochyta blight and fusarium wilt

           Drought is the common abiotic stress limiting chickpea production in different parts of Iran. Chickpea and lentil frequently suffers from drought stress towards the end of growing season after flowering, during pod setting and seed formation, drought is accompanied by heat stress in rain-fed conditions (Sabaghpour, 2004). Terminal drought stress reduce productivity of chickpea considerably in spring planting in comparison to autumn and entezari sowing. In spite of superiority of autumn and entezari planting to spring planting in respect of high water use efficiency and less suffer of terminal drought stress (Sabaghpour, 2002). Research on exploration of possibility of autumn planting of chickpea and lentil in milder environments and Entzari planting in harsh (sever cold) environments has given fruitful results with good successes. Transfer of these technologies to farmers is in progress and in some areas farmers are getting almost 50% or more productivity with adoption of winter- or Entzari –sowing. Therefore four chickpea varieties such as Hashem (Sabaghpour et al., 2005), Arman (Sabaghpour et al., 2006a), Azad (Sabaghpour et al., 2010), Adel (Sabaghpour 2015b) and two lentil varieties including Kimiya (Sabaghpour et al., 2013) and Bilesevar ( Sabaghpour, 2012) were released for planting in autumn in milder environments and Entzari –sowing  in harsh (sever cold) environments. Transfer spring to Autumn or Entzari planting may in climate change adaptation or mitigation.

Drought escape is the most important success for breeders so far in comparison with other mechanisms. Famers usually are not able to plant chickpea in the beginning of March due to high moisture in field. Therefore, they often have to plant chickpea in the end March in Iran. Flowering time in chickpea will start in the first of May which rainfall will stop in many years (Sabaghpour et al., 2006b). But some farmers prefer to plant chickpea in spring (March) due to weeds problem. Major successes due to breeding have been achieved, in the selection for drought escape. A new drought tolerance chickpea variety " Sameen" (Sabaghpour, 2015a) has been released for planting in spring in cold areas of Iran.

Cold stress is one of the most important abiotic stress in cold region of the world. About 40 percent of chickpea area of Iran is sown in cold area (Sabaghpour, 2005). The yield of autumn planting is higher than spring planting due to benefit of winter rainfall and higher water-use efficiency (Sabaghpour, 2002). The lowest absolute minimum temperature at cold areas of Iran often occur in December, January and February. Absolute minimum temperature has different range from -10Co to -30Co with snow covering in different cold area of Iran. Due to local chickpea and lentil varieties could not tolerance to cold stress, farmer had to plant these crops in spring. A new improved chickpea variety (Saral) has been released for autumn planting in cold area of Iran.

Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei [Pass.] Labr.) is a major yield reducer for chickpea in north (Glostan), northwest (Oroumieh), west (Kermanshah, Lorestan and Ilam) and southern parts of Iran both in winter and spring planted chickpea, however it is more severe in winter sown crop  (Sabaghpour 2015b). Occurrence and severity of this disease depend largely on the cultivar and weather condition in a given year. Ascochyta blight incidence was 100% in the epidemic years in farmer’s fields on local varieties in the Mediterranean region of Iran.  Hashem, Arman, Azad, Adel chickpea varieties which are resistance to ascochyta blight, erect growth habit and high potential yield have were released for cold moderate, moderate, semi warm areas of Iran in the last decade. Ascochyta blight is not important on lentil and bean and mungbean in Iran. Ascochyta blight and Botrytis are major yield reducer for faba bean.

Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. emend. Snyd. & Hans.f.sp. ciceri [Padwick] Snyd. & Hans) is another important disease mainly in spring chickpea in the northwest of Iran. A survey conducted in 1998 on fusarium wilt disease (Akem 1998) in north and northwest of Iran showed that 19% of the chickpea fields have fusarium wilt incidence in the range of 5-60%. A chickpea variety "Sameen" is tolerance to fusarium wilt, tolerance to drought stress, large seed size and high potential yield has been released for planting in cold area in spring planting.

Fusarium wilt is a major yield reducer for lentil Ardebil province (Bilehsavar) which 50 percent of lentil field had fusarium will incidence in the range of 20-80% in 2002 (Sabaghpour, 2006). A lentil variety "Bilehsavar" (Sabaghpour, 2012) is tolerance to fusarium wilt, large seed size and high potential yield has been released for planting in for cold moderate, moderate, semi warm areas of Iran.

Prof. Sayyed Hossain Sabaghpour DG, Agricultural Research and Natural Resources Center of Hamedan Province Zip code: 65199-91169 P.O. Box 887, Hamedan, Iran Tel: (+98-811) 4374720, 4373609 Fax: (+98-811) 4378730 Mobile: (+98) 9183314500

References

Akem, C. 1998.  Survey on chickpea disease in Iran. ICARDA.

FAO. 2013. UN Food and Agriculture Organization. http://faostat.fao.org/site/291/default.aspx

Sabaghpour, S. H. 2002. Comparison of chickpea autumn and spring planting: proceeding of Seventh Iranian Crop Sciences Congress Aug. 24-26, 2002 Karaj, Iran.

Sabaghpour, S.H. 2004. Present Status and Future Prospects of Food Legume in Iran. In Role of Legumes in Crop diversification and Poverty Reduction in Asia (eds C.L.L. Gowda and S.S Pande) ICRISAT. pp. 75-86.

Sabaghpour. S.H . 2005. Study on chickpea promising lines for cold tolerance in controlled condition. Proceeding of The Fourth International Food Legumes Research Conference (IFLRC-IV), M. C. Kharkwal (ed.) October 18-22, 2005, New Delhi - India

Sabaghpour. S.H. 2006. Prospects and problems for enhancing grain yield of food legume on dryland in Iran. Iraian Jounal of Crop Science.2 (30):15-54.

Sabaghpour. S.H. 2012. Final reporting for releasing improved lentil variety " Bilesevar" (ILL 6037) for moderate and semi warm areas under rainfed condition of Iran. Dryland Agricultural Research institute of Iran. 37 pages.

Sabaghpour. S.H. 2015a. Final reporting for releasing improved chickpea variety "Sameen"(ILC 1799) for cold area under rainfed condition of Iran. Dryland Agricultural Research institute of Iran. 18 pages.

Sabaghpour. S.H. 2015b. Strategic framework for food legume research. Nashar and Entesharat organization. 417pp.

Sabaghpour, S. H., Malhotra., R. S. and Banai, T. 2005. Registration of Hashem kabuli chickpea. Crop Sci. 45. 2651.

Sabaghpour, S.H., Malhotra, R. S., Sarparast, R., Safikhani, M., Alizadeh, S. H., Jahangeri, A., and Khalaf, G. 2006a. Registration of ‘Arman’–A Kabuli Chickpea Cultivar, Crop Sci. 46: 2704-2705.

Sabaghpour. S.H, Mahmoodi, A. A.,  Saeed. A., Kamel, M.,  and Malhotra, R . S.  2006b. Study on chickpea drought tolerance lines under dryland condition of Iran. Indian J. Crop Science, 1(1-2):70 -73.

Sabaghpour. S.H, Safikhani, M., Pezakhpour, P., Jahangheri, A., Sarperast, R., Karami, I., Poursiabiedi, M., Shahriari, D,. Mahmoodi, F., Keshavarz, K. 2010. Azad, A New chickpea cultivar for Moderate and Semi Warm Climate of Iran. Seed and plant Journal. 2(26-1):293-295.

Sabaghpour. S.H., Seyedi, F., Mahmoodi, A.A., Safikhani, M., Pezeshakpour, P., Rostemi, B., Kamel, M., Feayedi, Y., Siabeedi, M.M., Kanoni, H., Mahmoodi, F., Pouralibaba, H., Kerami, I., Jahangeri, A. 2013 .Kimiya, A New High Yielding Lentil Cultivar for Moderate Cold and Semi Warm Climate of Iran. Seed and plant Journal, 2(29-1): 397-399.

 

Dear FSN Forum,



I am more than happy on the international year of pulses by FAO/UN. I am sending my published work on pulses and soybean so far (see attached file). My two good new research papers on pulses are coming soon. I am also interested to write a book on the Pulses of Pakistan. However, due to unavailability of funding not able to print it.

Dr. AMANULLAH PhD (Pak) & Post-Doc (USA)

Associate Professor

Department of Agronomy

Faculty of Crop Production Sciences

The University of Agriculture Peshawar

PAKISTAN-25130

English translation below

Les légumineuses sont dotées de vertus alimentaires, spirituelles et agronomiques indéniables. Elles sont riches en protéines qui sont des nutriments nécessaires pour la croissance de l’homme. Il y a aussi beaucoup de légumineuses qui sont utilisées en Afrique pour des sacrifices et des pratiques rituelles. Nombre de mets qui servent à entretenir des relations spirituelles avec les « vodun » sont à base du haricot. Au Bénin, les « zangbéto » (ou fétiches gardiens de nuit) sont reconnus comme grands consommateurs de haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris). Les jeunes feuilles de haricot étaient très prisées en tant que légumes riches et moins coûteuses pour la sauce au Bénin. Par leurs racines qui fixent l’azote de l’air, les légumineuses fertilisent le sol et de ce fait permettent de lutter contre la dégradation des sols et d’assurer une bonne croissance des cultures. Pourtant des problèmes subsistent quant à leur adoption massive et au développement de leur production. Trois raisons principales justifient à notre avis cet état de chose.

1. Les légumineuses actuellement cultivées sont souvent de rendement faible. Ce faible rendement est déterminé par le potentiel génétique limité de production de ces variétés et par le fait que les légumineuses sont souvent très attaquées par des parasites (bruches, charançons, …) au champ et en conservation. Exemples : haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris), niébé (Vigna unguiculata).
2. La production des légumineuses demande beaucoup de travail. Cette réalité ajoutée à leur faible rendement, fait que les légumineuses ne rémunèrent pas bien le travail. Cette réalité décourage leur culture. Exemples : haricot mungo (Vigna radiata), haricot commun (Phaseolus vulgaris).
3. La préparation des mets à base de légumineuses est généralement compliquée et demande souvent une certaine technicité et spécialisation des personnes qui doivent les cuisiner. Exemple : Magni magni, Ataklè et Adowè au Bénin. C’est pourquoi ces mets sont pour la plupart en voie de disparition.   

Face à cette situation, deux solutions pourraient être adoptées.

1. Mettre au point des variétés de légumineuses à haut rendement et résistantes aux attaques de parasites. Cela permettra d’améliorer la rentabilité économique de leur production et, par ricochet, leur production massive.
2. Promouvoir les mets traditionnels faits à base de légumineuses et qui sont voie de disparition. Il s’agira d’introduire dans les pratiques culinaires actuelles les mets traditionnels faits à base de légumineuses. Exemple : Ataklè, Magni magni au Bénin. Le développement de technologies de transformation agroalimentaire devrait aussi venir en appui à cette action. L’amélioration des techniques de transformation pourra motiver l’adoption par la nouvelle génération de la production de mets autrefois délaissés. Cette promotion de la diversité culinaire à base de légumineuses induira à coup sûr l’accroissement de la demande de ces mets et par ricochet l’accroissement de l’offre par une culture plus étendue par les agriculteurs.   

Pulses are endowed with undeniable nutritional, spiritual and agronomic virtues. They are rich in proteins which are nutrients necessary for man’s growth. There are also many pulses that are used in Africa for sacrifices and ritual practices. Several dishes used to interact spiritually with the “Vodun” are made from beans. In Benin, the “zangbéto” (or nocturnal protection fetishes) are seen as large consumers of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The young leaves from bean stocks were esteemed for being rich and cheap for making sauces in Benin. Thanks to their nitrogen fixating roots, pulses fertilize the earth and, in so doing, help to fight soil degradation and promote proper crop development. However, there are still problems regarding their largescale adoption and increase in production. In our opinion, there are three reasons that justify this current situation.

1. Currently grown pulses are often low yielding. This low yield is determined by these varieties’ limited genetic potential and because they are often very attacked by parasites (weevils, beetles…) in the fields and during stocking. Examples: bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata).
2. Pulse production requires a lot of work. This fact, coupled with their low yields, means that pulses do not remunerate work well. This reality discourages their farming. Examples: mung beans (Phaseolus radiata), common beans (Phaselous vulgaris).
3. The preparation of pulse-based dishes is generally complicated and often requires a fair amount of technique and specialisation from the people who have to cook them. Examples: Magni magni, Ataklé and Adowè in Benin. This is why most of these dishes are being forgotten.

Faced with this situation, two solutions could be considered.

1. Develop high yielding and parasite resistant pulse varieties. This would improve economic profitability for their production and, in turn, massive production.
2. Promote traditional pulse-based dishes that are disappearing. This would mean reintroducing traditional pulse based dishes into current culinary practices. Example: Ataklè, Magni magni in Benin. The development of food processing technologies should also help support this initiative. The improvement of processing techniques could encourage the new generation to produce previously abandoned dishes. This promotion of pulse-based culinary diversity would increase demand for these dishes and, in turn, more widespread farming.