Nutritional standards and methods of evaluation for food legume breeders

Meeting: International Working Group on Nutritional Standards and Methods of Evaluation for Food Legume Breeders, 5-7 July 1976, Ottawa, ON, CAMonograph on nutritional quality standards in legume plant breeding - discusses the recommendations for standards of food composition, physical and chemical analysis food analysis and biological evaluation techniques

Grain legumes of the lowland tropics

This chapter discusses four species of grain legumes of the lowland tropics—that is, peanuts, pigeon peas, cowpeas, and mung beans. Various aspects of these species, such as plant improvement, plant protection, growth processes, and management are described. These four species made up 87% of both the cultivated area and total production on a worldwide basis. Some botanical and adaptive characters of tropical lowland grain legumes are summarized to facilitate direct comparisons of their potential for specific situations. Although species are grouped according to their presumed ecological use patterns, considerable overlap occurs in adaptation and in microclimates of particular locales within regions. The chapter describes various comparative features of tropical species, such as (1) plant types, (2) soil and climate preference, (3) susceptibility to pests and diseases, and (4) yielding ability. To emphasize the positive aspects of growing tropical legumes, a broad array of uses for these crops and their beneficial effects on soil and crops are summarized

A rapid method of hand crossing cowpeas

A cut is made about two-thirds of the width of the unopened, but mature, flower bud, starting in the centre of the upper, straight edge. The upper portion of the folded petals is grasped by the thumb and index finger, lifted outwards and torn free, exposing the style, stigma and anthers, the latter being then cut away with scissors. It is estimated that the method takes 15-25 s per flower. If emasculated in the evening a flower may be pollinated the following mornin

Breeding strategy for the nutritional improvement of pulses

Meeting: International Working Group on Nutritional Standards and Methods of Evaluation for Food Legume Breeders, 5-7 July 1976, Ottawa, ON, CAIn IDL-49