**8. Limiting factors for low production**

*Legume Crops - Prospects, Production and Uses*

**7. Microbiological changes under organic legumes**

and contributing to soil organic matter. Legumes are an effective green manure crop because the decomposed plant matter after harvest can improve soil water retention and water retention, reduce soil erosion and increase SOM, and thus improve soil properties. Different benefits can be used to enhance crop yields [33]. Green manure can be classified into two categories according to their manure position, *i.e.* local green manure, and green manure (Onsite and offsite). In the case of local green manure, legumes are planted and added to the soil on the same site, while in the case of green manure; legumes' waste is collected at the nearest location and added to the soil first, plant the next harvest. Besides, legumes have a wide range of properties such as biological nitrogen fixation, short time, against abiotic and biological stress, environmental flexibility, fast, simple off-farm production, etc. Better monitoring of agricultural sustainability is achieved by legumes addition in organic farming [34].

Legumes are one of the important components to increase soil microbial biomass (SMB) in the soil [35]. Legumes play an important role in small and mediumsized businesses and important energy processes, such as the nutrient cycle and disruption of SOMs, thus improving crop yields and soil sustainability [36]. The instability of small and medium-sized enterprises implementing several important agronomic processes in the soil can drastically change agricultural productivity and soil sustainability [37]. The relationship between biota and legume in the soil and their significance for the various soil functions has a positive impact on soil sustainability [38]. SMB was increased by rotation of legumes with significant improvements in the structure of soil microbial communities and soil health [39]. Some microorganisms that interact physically with legumes in the rhizosphere can also actively improve crop yields by increasing plant growth and growth [40]. The SMB is similar to the eye of a needle than any SOM must overcome [41] and is therefore widely used as a biological indicator in soil sustainability [38]. SOM is an instant sink for nutrients, organisms, and carbon. SMB also increases the nutrient supply in cultures in symbiotic associations. It contributes to the physical structure of the soil, chemical processes, and pesticide degradation and prevents soil pathogens [42]. SMB and microbiological dynamics are related indicators of changes in soil sustainability due to changes in soil properties. SMBs are mainly found in surface layers and vary according to soil configuration. SMB is a living element of the soil. Tilak [43] stated higher counts of actinomycetes, bacteria, *Azotobacter, fungi,* and PSB due to growing of mungbean in fallow after rice (**Table 3**). These increments in the microbial population in turn affect mineralization and immobilization of nutrients depending upon the environment. By adding legumes in the cropping system, the

**Treatments Microbial population (per g soil) Soil depth (cm)**

Rice-fallow 42 0.3 0.1 22 0.4 192.1 156.5 Rice-MB (SR) 105 1.2 0.8 87 3.5 200.5 155.5 Rice-MB (SI) 167 5.5 1.3 202 6.0 244.0 195.7 C D (P = 0.05) 40.5 1.25 0.72 25.8 0.9 35.58 21.24

**Fungi 104**

*Azotobacter* **102**

**PSB 102**

**0–15 15–30**

**Actinomycetes 104**

**Bacteria 105**

*Soil microbial population as affected by legumes.*

**86**

**Table 3.**

In addition to low productivity, growing population, devastating climate change, complexities of diseases and pests, the socio-economic situation of pulse producers, poor storage facilities, etc. They increase the deficit of legumes that are available in the water.



#### **Table 4.**

*Yield loss in major pulses as caused by weeds, diseases, and insect-pests.*

season, but also have to deal with cold damage at the start of the period of the vegetative segment, freezing all biological activity for a long time. The sudden rise in temperature not only causes forced maturity but also causes many biological stresses, diseases, and insect pests [48]. Traditionally, the cultivation of the Rabi legume has been delayed until the last week of November and, under extreme circumstances, until the first half of December, for obvious reasons. However, the optimal time for lentils planting is the first half of October. However, some winter legumes, including lentils, are also grown in pairs in eastern India, making it easy to grow even before the rice is harvested.



**89**

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

**7. Legume marketing**: The legumes market is fragmented due to the dispersion of production and consumption in all states. Farmers/village traders sell their market surplus immediately after harvesting due to storage losses of pests, while some large traders/wholesalers trade between large markets and stock in legumes to make a profit from speculative profits during the off-season. For this reason, farmers did not take advantage of the higher market prices for pulse

**8. Abiotic stress in terms of crops:** Abiotic stress is mainly inevitable and the most damaging factor for the growth and productivity of legume crops, especially in non-irrigated areas (**Table 5**). The capacity to effectively tolerating this type of stress by the adoption of suitable strategies based on research trails. Fixation, absorption, and assimilation of nitrogen by legumes are reduced due to a reduction in hemoglobin in the nodules and the number of nodules under

Application of biotechnology tools to create a genetic modification for biotic and abiotic stresses and develop varieties suitable for early maturation for late planting

**9. Recent developments and legume production policies**

situations to escape final water stress and used in some crop systems [54].

Planting on a tall bed is an effective agronomic intervention, especially in areas with heavy rainy season legumes like pigeon peas, chickpeas, and beans. In pigeon peas, the method of planting strips and beds also reduced the incidence of *Phytophthora blight* [55]. Besides, better drainage under growing plantations also reduces the risk of root and stem rot [56]. It helps with controlled irrigation in beds and saves irrigation water (up to 30%) and expensive inputs such as seeds and fertilizers [57]. An increase in the productivity of legumes such as pigeon pea, urdbean, and chickpea was also observed due to the nodding and better growth of

Crops such as summer mung beans can be a sequential partner of crop systems in April–June because legumes have a "preservative" effect on soil nitrogen (N) compared to non-bean crops and are beneficial for crops after crop. Pigeon-wheat and mung-bean systems have shown a clear advantage over wheat-wheat in conservation agriculture. No-tillage and retention of surface residues (tillage for soil conservation) improve the productivity of mung beans compared to conventional tillage practices [57]. Besides, legumes do not need to plow and retain crop residues that provide habitat for beneficial organisms by providing C substrate to heterotrophic microorganisms and increasing microbial activity and improve soil C and N [59].

The literature review presented here identifies that organic legume planting has great potential to promote soil sustainability and organic farming. Organic legumes'

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

water stress conditions [53].

**9.2 Planting techniques on high beds**

culture on a large bed [58].

**9.3 Agricultural conservation (CA)**

**9.4 Future outlook of organic grain legumes**

**9.1 Livestock project**

[51].

#### **Table 5.**

*Important abiotic and biotic stresses limiting the production of major legumes crops in India.*

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

