**3.8 Organic pest and disease management in organic grain legumes**

The main issue is the organic management of insects and pests in organic farming. Natural predators should be encouraged and protected (for example, farming trees on farms that attract pests and insects, etc.). Products collected from local farms, animals, plants, and microorganisms and prepared on the farm can control pests. Extracts from neem seed core (NSKE), cow urine sprays are beneficial for pest control. Products authorized to control pests are neem oil and other neem preparations such as NSKE, color traps, mechanical traps, pheromone traps, herbal remedies, mild soaps, and clay, etc. A mixture of 3–5 L cow urine and an equal amount of manure (3–5 kg) stored for 4 days and filtered it. Add 200 g of lime and obtain up to 80 L and spray along with cow's milk in legumes control mosaic, a type of viral diseases (also called yellow mosaic virus) in which whey acts as a good barrier for reducing transmission of YMV [2]. Legumes are susceptible to pests and diseases. Productive losses due to the absence of plant protection measures vary from 46 to 96% depending on the crop and variety in legumes and further in case of organic legumes it can be increased up to complete crop failure. Integrated pest management (IPM) in legumes includes the use of resistant varieties, crop rotation with non-host plants, etc. also a good approach in the management of diseases and pests on organic farms. In Arunachal Pradesh, straw humus reduced the incidence of Ascorobta on peas as mulch application by regulating temperature and humidity [15]. Caterpillars are the most devastating legume insect due to favorable weather conditions. So regular inspections of farms on a daily or weekly basis were implemented.

*Legume Crops - Prospects, Production and Uses*

**3.4 Tillage**

**3.5 Geometric planting**

and abundant branching.

test weight in Lathyrus.

**3.6 Seed priming**

and water conservation techniques is a good approach.

they are prone to water-logging [7]. Legumes are mainly grown as rainfed crops in the semi-arid and arid areas. However, legumes grown during the summer months require significant irrigation, especially during the critical period, when soil

moisture becomes a limiting factor. The vegetative, flowering and fruiting stages are very important in pulse physiology so adequate management of irrigation scheduling at these stages is important. In water deficit areas, alternate-furrow irrigation

Arable land is necessary to treat the soil with agricultural tools and tools to obtain ideal conditions for seed germination, seed establishment, and plant growth. The main objective of tillage is to create good soil and soil conditions for crop establishment and initial development of roots and shoots. The Kharif legume requires tillage to open the soil through a rotating plow and two cross wrinkles followed by a plank. In Rabi legumes, soil plows after Kharif and if necessary, irrigation should be given before planting to ensure adequate moisture. Recycling of summer mung bean residues (*Vigna radiata*) through rotary tillers and cropping systems increases system productivity, profitability, and soil health [8]. Crop residue incorporation in organic fields with the help of tillage techniques is also a good approach for management of fertilizer needs of crops and improves organic matter content of the soil.

The optimal space needed depends on the type of crop, the variety, the planting

season, and the cropping system. Most short-lived legumes need a small space, while long-term varieties work well with a larger space. Appropriate planting densities in fields and vegetables lead to better use of solar radiation to turn into higher yields. Planting in the first week of June will have the highest percentage of pods or seeds in grain legumes. Tighter and wider gap performance in different varieties and sowing after this date have reduced grain yield [9]. Growing green peas at a distance of 20 cm × 10 cm is more sufficient to get good yield benefits [10]. In general, Kharif cultivation requires greater spacing and a smaller plant population than summer crops due to relatively warm temperatures, long vegetative growth,

Seed soaking in water for 10–12 hours and shade drying enhances germination percentage and early emergence under rainfed cropping. The seed priming in organic farming refers to soaking the seed in organic liquids. In the broadcast method, the established seed was low so seed soaking and priming a good tool to achieve the desired yield. Gupta and Bhowmick [11] stated that the sowing of presprouted seeds significantly increased the pod number per plant, seed per pod, and

No doubt, legumes are a very important food crop to improve human nutrition having high protein and nutrient content. Biological response of legumes to plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) or bio-fertilizers is an effective and environmentally safe approach to reduce dependence on chemical and inorganic fertilizers

**3.7 Nutrient management strategies in organic legume production**

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#### **3.9 Impact on soil dynamics: physical, chemical, and biological properties**

Intensive agricultural practices lead to degradation of soil aggregates, resulting in soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter (SOM) [16]. Legume crops increase SOM, help aggregate soil particles, and crop residues obtained from legumes are considered a good technique for sustainable soil management because it prevents soil erosion, improve water holding capacity and help restore soil biodiversity.

#### *3.9.1 Physical properties*

Legumes in the form of mulch or crop residue act as a soil conditioner, as they positively affect soil microbial populations by providing them with a substrate, increasing the degradation of the debris or residues of plant and the addition of organic matter to the soil in large quantities [17] lead to the prevention of soil/wind erosion, improved soil agglomeration and water holding capacity, etc. Therefore, legumes play a very important role in soil restoration and provide a favorable strategy to improve soil health for sustainable agriculture.

#### *3.9.2 Chemical properties*

Legume cultivation has a tremendously positive effect on soil chemistry. In particular, the pH of the soil decreased due to the production of organic acids and CO2 from legumes degradation in alkaline soils [18]. Therefore, legumes act as a buffer for the soil by maintaining its pH. The addition of legume crops to intensive farming systems significantly reduces soil and water pollution. Crop residue incorporation based on legumes improves the availability of macro or micronutrients also.

#### *3.9.3 Biological properties*

The practice of intercropping with legumes helps in the development of different types of roots capability of fixing nitrogen and is therefore responsible for changing the complete distribution of the roots, as well as the root architecture, as well as modifying the secretion process in the rhizosphere. Therefore, it can strongly influence the microbial community as well as its interactions with the crop, thus promoting various benefits. Intercropping of cereals and legumes also promotes replenishment and facilitation in agricultural systems [19]. Legumes are also thought to promote the invasion of *arbuscular mycorrhizae* (AD) in low-input input agricultural systems, as legumes actively participate in trilateral symbiotic relationships between different microbial species [20]. There is a gradual improvement in the diversity and abundance of mycorrhizae in legume cultivation.

### **4. Biological N-fixation by grain legumes**

The grain legumes can fix nitrogen biologically with the help of a symbiotic and mutual partnership with rhizobia bacteria. N-fixation of grain legumes is about 1.0 kg ha day−1 within a cropping season. Most of the excess fixed nitrogen is completely utilized by the second relay crop or it will help in decrease nitrogen demand of the next crop. Legumes can fix up to 100 kg nitrogen per hectare depending upon crop type, management, and agro-climatic conditions. Mostly all grain legumes fix nitrogen such as gram (26–63 kg ha−1), pigeon pea (68–200 kg ha−1), mungbean (50–55 kg ha−1), and lentil (35–100 kg ha−1) [21].

**85**

**farming**

**Table 2.**

*Organic Grain Legumes in India: Potential Production Strategies, Perspective, and Relevance*

**Crop Wheat Rice Lentil** N % 0.39 0.48 1.74 P% 0.13 0.16 0.16 K% 1.10 1.03 1.74

**5. The remaining impact of legumes on agricultural systems**

*Nutrient concentration and C:N ratio of rice, wheat, and lentil straw.*

nutrients in high amounts in their biological content (**Table 2**).

**6. Grain legumes also act as intercropping and green manure in organic** 

Intercropping is practiced to meet different ecological goals, such as promoting interaction between species, activating natural regulatory mechanisms, increasing biodiversity, and reducing farmers' risk against climate aberration [27]. The main objective of the legume intercropping system is to produce more yields from the same field and improve the efficiency of natural resources compared to monoculture [28]. Mixing a legume with a non-legume species may have a performance advantage over monoculture. Legumes improve soil function through the symbiosis of the legumerhizobia [29]. The main objective of the legume intercropping system is to produce more yields from the same field and improve the efficiency of natural resources compared to monoculture [28]. Mixing a legume with a non-legume species may have a performance advantage over monoculture. Under favorable environmental conditions, legumes add N to the system, obviously leading to high yields of major crops [30]. Barbosae et al. [31] reported that 25% of the fixed N per cowpea component was transferred to corn. An important goal of intercropping is to ensure higher yields per unit area than monoculture [32]. Compost refers to the inclusion of crumbling fresh plant remnants in soils undergoing biodegradation using the soil microbiota

Crop rotation can improve biomass production and can sequester carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the soil, mainly crop rotation with non-legumes, and C and N can be improved with effects consecutively, for example, the increase in maize yield in legume rotation is a 50% successful plantation when grown with sesame [22]. Intercropping with legumes may increase soil N, and this total N may not be available during the current growing season, improving soil fertility for successful cultivation [23]. Lopez and Mundt [24] observed that velvet bean (*Mucuna pruriens*), and sun-hemp (*Crotalaria juncea*) often resulted in maize yields of 4 to 7 mg/ ha even without applying additional nitrogen fertilizer in the next harvest. Yusuf et al. [25] reported that to maximize the contribution of legumes N to the next crop, it is essential to maximize the total amount of N in legumes, the amount of N mineralized legumes, and the effectiveness of legumes. The use of this mineral N and the amount of N derived from immobilization Nair et al. [26] observed that legumes, especially soybeans, cowpea, peas, and peanuts intercropping with maize have the remaining or residual effect on the yield of a subsequent wheat crop. Intercropping of sorghum with peanuts, cowpea, and green gram reduces the N demand of wheat fertilizer to 61, 83, and 38 kg/ha for a target yield of 4.0 tons/ ha. Grain legume crops have deep root systems in the soil so they can recycle crop nutrients that are deep in the soil profile and also have the ability to hold different

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93077*

*Organic Grain Legumes in India: Potential Production Strategies, Perspective, and Relevance DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93077*


**Table 2.**

*Legume Crops - Prospects, Production and Uses*

*3.9.1 Physical properties*

*3.9.2 Chemical properties*

micronutrients also.

*3.9.3 Biological properties*

**3.9 Impact on soil dynamics: physical, chemical, and biological properties**

Intensive agricultural practices lead to degradation of soil aggregates, resulting in soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter (SOM) [16]. Legume crops increase SOM, help aggregate soil particles, and crop residues obtained from legumes are considered a good technique for sustainable soil management because it prevents soil erosion, improve water holding capacity and help restore soil biodiversity.

Legumes in the form of mulch or crop residue act as a soil conditioner, as they positively affect soil microbial populations by providing them with a substrate, increasing the degradation of the debris or residues of plant and the addition of organic matter to the soil in large quantities [17] lead to the prevention of soil/wind erosion, improved soil agglomeration and water holding capacity, etc. Therefore, legumes play a very important role in soil restoration and provide a favorable

Legume cultivation has a tremendously positive effect on soil chemistry. In particular, the pH of the soil decreased due to the production of organic acids and CO2 from legumes degradation in alkaline soils [18]. Therefore, legumes act as a buffer for the soil by maintaining its pH. The addition of legume crops to intensive farming systems significantly reduces soil and water pollution. Crop residue incorporation based on legumes improves the availability of macro or

The practice of intercropping with legumes helps in the development of different types of roots capability of fixing nitrogen and is therefore responsible for changing the complete distribution of the roots, as well as the root architecture, as well as modifying the secretion process in the rhizosphere. Therefore, it can strongly influence the microbial community as well as its interactions with the crop, thus promoting various benefits. Intercropping of cereals and legumes also promotes replenishment and facilitation in agricultural systems [19]. Legumes are also thought to promote the invasion of *arbuscular mycorrhizae* (AD) in low-input input agricultural systems, as legumes actively participate in trilateral symbiotic relationships between different microbial species [20]. There is a gradual improvement in

The grain legumes can fix nitrogen biologically with the help of a symbiotic and mutual partnership with rhizobia bacteria. N-fixation of grain legumes is about 1.0 kg ha day−1 within a cropping season. Most of the excess fixed nitrogen is completely utilized by the second relay crop or it will help in decrease nitrogen demand of the next crop. Legumes can fix up to 100 kg nitrogen per hectare depending upon crop type, management, and agro-climatic conditions. Mostly all grain legumes fix nitrogen such as gram (26–63 kg ha−1), pigeon pea (68–200 kg ha−1), mungbean

the diversity and abundance of mycorrhizae in legume cultivation.

**4. Biological N-fixation by grain legumes**

(50–55 kg ha−1), and lentil (35–100 kg ha−1) [21].

strategy to improve soil health for sustainable agriculture.

**84**

*Nutrient concentration and C:N ratio of rice, wheat, and lentil straw.*
