Future Use Prospects of Legumes through Improvement and the Challenges Faced

Abstract

Legumes are important crops, being one of the most protein containing species of grain plants from their seeds which are used as food among other uses of the crop such as Nitrogen fixation (in most), which helps maintain soil nutrition at bay. The uses extend to key ingredients in livestock feeds manufacture even for marine life diets. Their roots go deep into the soil to find water and in the process hold soil particles together aiding in soil erosion control. However, low performance and production levels have been recorded over the years with Africa, for example, contributing only 10% of the entire world legume production per year. This is attributed to little breeding programs being conducted on the legume plants among less improvements aiding in the plants’ performance and production for sustainability. This book chapter therefore seeks to outline in depth some of the future prospects of legume plants species in relation to improvements that should be done on the crop such as breeding programs to sustain diverse functions, among which, increasing food security. The improvements not only aim at helping humanity, but rather the environment in general including marine life.