Handbook of Legumes of World Economic Importance

This timely volume – the result of extensive computer searches combined with recent research and the author’s own extensive knowledge – fills the need dfor a concise source of detailed information on nearly 150 economically important species of legumes. Each plant is listed under its scientific name with recent significant synonyms included. General uses of plants are covered. Folk medicine – often the first guide in the quest for new medicinal uses – is given a separate section. Plants discussed include some legumes containing compounds useful against experimental cancers. Also listed are toxic plants. A section on germplasm covers the important cultivars and offers comments on centers of origin, breading mechanisms, tolerances and chromosome counts. Among the nutritional data presented is a tabulation of nutrients on a zero-moisture basis and amino acid compositions – data which facilitate comparisons between plants. Since modern distribution of many economically important legumes bears little relation to their historic distribution, a useful section on this subject summarizes facts about current and historic distribution. An ecology section lists data on life zones, annual precipitation, annual temperature and pH, while a section on cultivation offers information encompassing land preparation, planting, fertilization, intercropping, cultivation and maintenance of the legume until harvest – information intended for both developed "mechanized" societies and developing "manual" societies. Methods of harvesting are reported, with notes on processing the harvested plants, conditions for harvest and data on optimum states of growth. Conventional data for yields are given, as are data, where available on biomass nitrogen fixation and non-conventional estimates of yield. A bibliography is included and line drawings of plants are used to enhance the general descriptions.