Legumes in rice and wheat cropping systems of the indo-gangetic plain - constraints and opportunities

Cultivation of legumes for grain, forage, and manure purposes has been a traditional practice in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region of South Asia. However, this practice has declined in recent decades as the production of the major cereal crops, rice and wheat, has increased since the advent of the green revolution. Consequences of decreased legume cultivation in the region include reduced opportunities for ameliorative effects of legumes on cropping system sustainability and decreased local accessibility of grain legumes as a nutritious dietary component, particularly for poorer sections of the community. This book updates knowledge of area, production, and yields of legumes grown in the countries of the IGP, Bangladesh, India (northern), Nepal, and Pakistan, making use of geographic information systems…