ABSTRACT
In terms of agricultural production, cereals are the most important source of human food and animal feeds but the legume family, Leguminosae, encompasses an extremely diverse group of herbs, vines, shrubs and trees (1). The subfamily Papilionoideae has 600 genera and 13,000 species of plants which have fruits enclosed in a specific pattern in elongated pods and whose roots form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in nodules. Over 80 legume species are consumed world-wide and represent the second most important food source. About 20 legume species are cultivated on an appreciable hectareage. These legume crops are primarily herbaceous annuals that can be consumed directly as mature dry seeds, as immature green seeds, or as whole green pods.
