Research and development priorities for legumes and legume-based cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic PlainCJohansenauthorJ MDuxburyauthorS MVirmaniauthorC L LGowdaauthorSPandeauthorP KJoshiauthorIn this chapter, attempts have been made to synthesize, in summary form, the major recommendations presented in the previous chapters and discussed during the workshop. Although, for the convenience of classification, warm season and cool season legumes have been differentiated in the previous chapters, henceforth both groups are considered in unison. There are similar trends and constraints in both groups and they are indeed merging in terms of their adaptation and distribution, due to development of genotypes of wider adaptation than traditional landraces and with less sensitivity to environmental factors such as photoperiod and temperature. There is a need to substantially reverse the overall negative trends for legumes area and productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Development of sustainable cropping systems requires reintroduction of legumes in cereal dominated cropping systems, and crop diversification generally. Food legumes are complementary to, rather than competitive wi th, cereal crops in both the cropping system and the human diet. Suggestions for progress are discussed. But progress will ultimately depend on formation of multidisciplinary working groups implementing focused research and development (R&D) endeavors. The major requirement is for an integrated approach to R&D and associated policy issues.ChickpeaPigeonpeaGroundnut2000International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid TropicsBook Section