| Abstrakt: |
Pulses are a vital source of dietary protein, calories, energy, fat, fibre, minerals and carbohydrates especially for vegetarian population. Pulses can play an important role in alleviation of increasing protein hunger and malnutrition that is prevalent in the developing countries. Pulse crops have a great role in nitrogen contribution in the soil (2.95 Tg annually) through biological nitrogen fixation. Inclusion of pulse crops in the sequential cropping systems or as intercrops in various cereal/oilseed/ fibre/sugar crops results in nitrogen economy and improves soil fertility. Growing of pulse crops in different cereal-based rotations on long-term basis increases overall system productivity as well as helps to diversify the crop rotations. Pulse crops improve soil physical (bulk density, soil aggregates, porosity, water holding capacity, soil compaction), chemical (organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and biological (microbial population, soil microbial biomass C and N) properties and thereby increase the sustainability of the system. Furthermore, pulse crops provide some ecological services such as increased nitrogen use efficiency, water conservation, reduction in emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), lowering the carbon footprint and enhanced biodiversity. Therefore, for realizing these benefits, there is a need to promote cultivation of pulse crops on a large acreage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
