Advances in understanding grain legume physiology: understanding root architecture, nutrient uptake and response to abiotic stress Yinglong Chen, The University of Western Australia, Australia; Northwest A&F University, China; Ivica Djalovic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Serbia; and Kadambot H. M. Siddique, The University of Western Australia, Australia

doi:10.1201/9781351114424-6

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Advances in understanding grain legume physiology: understanding root architecture, nutrient uptake and response to abiotic stress Yinglong Chen, The University of Western Australia, Australia; Northwest A&F University, China; Ivica Djalovic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Serbia; and Kadambot H. M. Siddique, The University of Western Australia, Australia

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ABSTRACT

Grain legumes are an important and cheap source of protein with a total growth area of some 190 million ha globally (Reeves et al., 2016). Grain legumes play a distinct role in agricultural ecosystems due to their ability to fix nitrogen (N) symbiotically (Siddique et al., 1999; Rubiales and Mikic, 2015). It is estimated that the crop legume-rhizobia symbioses fix some 21 Mt nitrogen annually with up to 1/3 nitrogen returning to soils (Herridge et al., 2008; Foyer et al., 2016). The most important grain legumes are soybean (Glycine max), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), mash bean (Vigna mungo), mung bean (Vigna radiata), lentil (Lens culinaris), etc.