ABSTRACT
The importance of legumes in agriculture is as old as the history of mankind. The family of Leguminosae is as diverse as it is large, comprising more than 19,000 species of plants, ranging from tiny herbs to huge trees (Ruiz-Diez et al., 2012). Despite this diversity (Lewis et al., 2005), only about 100 legumes have any substantial agricultural importance, although they are undoubtedly as important as grasses in global terms (Howieson et al., 2008). The legumes of agricultural importance grow on 12-15% of the earth’s arable surface and account for 27% of the world’s primary crop production, with grain legumes alone contributing 33% to the dietary protein nitrogen (N) needs for humans (Graham and Vance, 2003; Ruiz-Diez et al., 2012).
