ABSTRACT
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Warp), and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) are considered “small crops” in the Western world and hence have received little or no attention from major biotechnology companies. Yet, these crops all have international importance and are a significant component of the livelihood of large numbers of farmers and consumers around the world, including many in developing countries. The world total production of pulses for the years 1995-1997 was, on average, 56 Mton and the harvested area was 72 MHa (1). During the same period, chickpeas were cultivated on 11.3 MHa, giving a total yield of 8.6 Mton, whereas lentils were cultivated on 3.3 MHa, giving a total yield of 2.9 Mton. Data on cowpeas are not available because this species is often confused with beans, and, hence, international statistics cannot be used for comparison. However, the total production of cowpea can be inferred from its prevalent areas of cultivation, Africa and India: figures of 7 MHa and a total production of 5 Mton represent good estimates. Finally, chickpea, lentil, and cowpea represent about 30% of total pulse production and harvested area.
