**Mohamed Ahmed El-Esawi, PhD**

Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

> Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt

**1**

**Chapter 1**

Introductory Chapter:

Characterization and

*Mohamed A. El-Esawi*

**1. Introduction**

tion and soil health [1, 5].

**2. Main legumes**

Improvement of Legume Crops

Legumes are agriculturally grown flowering plants that are found in most of the archaeological record of plants [1]. Various ecosystems, including rain forests, arctic/alpine regions, and deserts have been colonized by legumes [1, 2]. The most two popular flowering plants are Asteraceae and Orchidaceae [1]. The third in terms of popularity is Leguminosae or Fabaceae with 670–750 genera and 18,000– 19,000 species, respectively [1]. Legumes are utilized efficiently as (a) food crops for humans and animals; (b) pulps for paper, wood, and timber manufacturing; (c) sources for fuel and oil production; (d) ornamental plants used as living barriers and firebreaks, among others [3]; and (e) cover crops such as cereals and other staple foods [1]. Additionally, they can be utilized for other purposes including production of massive amounts of organic nitrogen. This is because legumes can be intercropped with rhizobia resulting in high yield productivity, soil organic matter improvement, modification of soil osmosis and texture, nutrient reuse, decrease of soil pH and soil pressure, microorganism differentiation, and alleviation of disease problems [1, 4]. Furthermore, legumes can produce amounts of organic nitrogen at a slow rate when rotated with cereals. Such nitrogen produced can be utilized in prospective cropping technologies for improving the production of these crops, recognizing their potential role in promoting better human nutri-

Forage legumes such as alfalfa (*Medicago sativa*), clover (*Trifolium* spp.), bird'sfoot trefoil (*Lotus corniculatus*), and vetch (*Vicia* spp.) are utilized as main sources for dairy and meat which are used for protein, fiber, and energy production [1]. Global production of alfalfa was approximately 436 tons in 2006 suggesting that it is the most essential forage crop. The highest amount of alfalfa was produced in the United States, being produced around 15 million tons in 2010 [1, 6]. Grain legumes or pulses are crops harvested massively for the dry seeds. They are found containing high amounts of protein in their seeds. Therefore, they represent a major food source for population consumption. They are considered as the main protein suppliers especially for people from developing countries [1]. Additionally, their high amino acid content is of nutritional value during utilization of cereals and tubers as food sources [1, 7]. The soybean (*Glycine max*), a native plant of Eastern Asia, is an annual
