Grain Legumes Evolution and Genetic Resources [Hardcover]

This volume provides a wide-ranging survey of all the major grain legumes.This volume provides a survey of all the major grain legumes from the standpoint of both their evolution and their potential for further development and improvement as economically important food crops. It surveys the changes which have occurred in plant domestication and discusses the benefits still to be gained from evaluation and improvement of genetic resources.This volume provides a survey of all the major grain legumes from the standpoint of both their evolution and their potential for further development and improvement as economically important food crops. It surveys the changes which have occurred in plant domestication and discusses the benefits still to be gained from evaluation and improvement of genetic resources.A wide-ranging survey of all the major grain legumes from their evolution to their potential for further development and improvement as economically important food crops. The book covers the changes that have occurred in the course of plant domestication leading to our present pulse crops and oilseed legume crops. The author also discusses the benefits to be gained from evaluation and improvement of grain legume genetic resources. This is a suitable book for advanced undergraduate courses in plant breeding and postgraduate courses in genetic resource conservation, collection and management.Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: biosystematics of the legumes; 2. The role of grain legumes in the human economy; 3. The groundnut, Arachis hypogaea L.; 4. The New World pulses: Phaseolus species; 5. The Old World pulses: Vigna species; 6. Pulses of the classical world; 7. The other legume oilseeds; 8. The pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.); 9. Minor grain legumes; 10. Germplasm resources and the future; References; Postscript; Supplementary references; Author index; General index. Smartt does an excellent job of pulling together the available knowledge on grain leguml³