New pulses in plant research

摘要

The development of sustainable agriculture is a major challenge for humanity: we could eradicate hunger from the earth but still preserve our planet for coming generations, for example by using less pesticides and chemical fertilizers, reducing the greenhouse effect, maintaining small farming communities, preserving biodiversity. It is clear that legumes can provide a solution: in terms of protein content they are amongst the richest plants in the world, and they contribute to feeding the majority ofthe inhabitants of developing countries. Thanks to symbiotic nitrogen fixation, legumes do not need nitrogenous fertilizers, production of which consumes petroleum and which contribute significantly to groundwater pollution as well as to the greenhouseeffect. Last but not least, legumes are very rich in molecules that have potential pharmaceutical uses. As stated by Rodomiro Ortiz (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kampala, Uganda) "food legumes are a gold-mine for the developing world", but their productivity remains limited by a lack of access to, and control of, water resources.