What is a Leguminous Crop?

Leguminous crops are plants belonging to the pea family (Fabaceae). They produce their seeds inside a physical pod.

• Examples: Peas (मटर), Beans (राजमा), Gram/Chickpeas (चना), Soybeans, Lentils (दालें), and Peanuts (मूंगफली).

Why do farmers love legumes? The answer lies in their roots.

• Normal plants need Nitrogen to grow, but they cannot absorb the 78% nitrogen present in the air. They rely on chemical fertilizers in the soil.
• Leguminous crops have small bumps on their roots called Root Nodules.
• A special bacteria called Rhizobium lives inside these nodules. This bacteria absorbs free nitrogen gas from the air and converts it into solid nitrates for the plant to eat. In return, the plant provides food to the bacteria (a symbiotic relationship).

Farmers frequently use legumes in Crop Rotation. After growing a heavy crop like wheat (which sucks all the nitrogen out of the soil), the farmer will plant peas or beans. The legumes naturally refill the soil with massive amounts of nitrogen, repairing the soil's fertility for free.