ABSTRACT
Genetic modification of grain legumes Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur and Kiran Kumar Sharma, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India
1 Introduction
2 Genetic engineering of grain legumes
3 Genetic engineering of chickpea
4 Genetic engineering of pigeonpea
5 Genetic engineering of cowpea
6 Genetic engineering of lentil
7 Genetic engineering of pea (Pisum sativum)
8 Genetic engineering of peanut
9 Genetic engineering of other grain legumes: tepary bean, Vigna species and faba bean
10 Challenges in the commercialization of genetically engineered grain legumes
11 Conclusion
12 Future trends
13 Where to look for further information
14 References
Legumes have a major impact on agriculture and smallholder agriculture in the arid, semi-arid and subhumid countries of the world. Ranked third after cereals and oil seeds in production, edible legume crops include soybean, pigeonpea, chickpea, common pea, lentils and peanuts among others. Grain legumes such as peanut and soybean are also good sources of edible oil. In addition to being rich in proteins, grain legumes are also rich sources of soluble fibre, having twice the protein content of cereals. They are also rich in energy, containing carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index. Since they are good sources of vitamin B, zinc, calcium and magnesium, as well as phytonutrients such as isoflavones, lignans and phytoestrogens, legumes are also known to reduce risks of such diseases as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. Being gluten-free, legumes are helpful for people with gluten
sensitivity (Ha et al., 2014). Legumes are good for not only people but also the planet as they help in fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil through symbiotic association with rhizobia.
