OAR@ICRISATLegumes in BangladeshM MRahmanauthorM ABakrauthorM FMiaauthorK MIdrisauthorC L LGowdaauthorJKumarauthorU KDebauthorM AMalekauthorASobhanauthorFood legume crops occupy about 5% of cropped area of Bangladesh but play a significant role in rainfed agriculture. About a dozen legume crops are grown in Bangladesh of which khesari (lathyrus), lentil, chickpea, black gram, mung bean are the major pulses, and groundnut is an oilseed crop. Their cultivation is mainly concentrated in the Gangetic floodplain area. The productivity of these crops is much lower compared to the cereals, and compared to the potential productivity of these legumes, due to various biotic, abiotic, and socioeconomic constraints. Among the biotic stresses, diseases, pests, seed dormancy, and weeds cause significant yield losses. The major diseases are botrytis gray mold, fusarium wilt, and collar rot in chickpea; foot rot, stemphylium blight, and rust in lentil; powdery mildew and downy mildew in khesari (lathyrus); yellow mosaic, cercospora leaf spot, and powdery mildew in black gram and mung bean: and leaf spot, rust, foot rot, and root rot in groundnut. Among the insect pests, Helicoverpa armigera is a major pest of chickpea and black gram; Diacrisia obliqua is a major pest of black gram, mung bean, and groundnut; aphids are common in lentil, khesari (lathyrus), and mung bean; Euchrysops cnejus, Monolepta signata, and Bemisia tabaci are the major pests of mung bean and black gram. Among the storage pests Callosobruchus chinensis infests all pulses except black gram, which is attacked only by C. maculatus. Lack of seed dormancy is a major constraint in groundnut and mung bean cultivation. Weeds are a very common problem in all legume crops and in all growing zones. Among the abiotic constraints, drought causes severe yield reduction in some years. Sometimes excess rain and high humidity encourage vegetative growth, in turn leading to high disease and pest incidence and resultant yield loss. Terminal heat stress and rainfall also cause substantial yield loss. In some areas, micronutrient deficiency and soil acidity limit legume cultivation. Among the socioeconomic constraints, low profit, instability of yield, and lack of support price influence the farmers to follow the traditional practices for legume cultivation which inevitably result in poor yields. The area and production of these legume crops are generally declining. The government has consequently launched a Pilot Production Program on lentil, black gram, and mung bean to halt the declining trend. Details of the constraints and the opportunities to fit the legumes in new and diversified cropping systems in Bangladesh are discussed in this chapter.Food Legumes2000International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid TropicsBook Section

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