Shiv Kumar

By Dil Thavarajah, Pushparajah Thavarajah, Casey R. Johnson and Shiv Kumar

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool season food legume that is high in protein (20–30%) and in a range of micronutrients (e.g., minerals, carotenoids, folates) but very low in phytic acid. Recent research indicates that lentil contains a wide array of low-molecular weight carbohydrates (LMWC) or prebiotic carbohydrates, such as mono- and disaccharides, raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFO), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and sugar alcohols, and high-molecular weight resistant starches. Lentil provides more than 13 g of prebiotic carbohydrates per 100 g serving, and this level increases almost two-fold upon cooking, cooling, and reheating. In addition, prebiotic carbohydrate levels vary with lentil genotype and growing location/country. Intestinal microbiome and prebiotic studies suggest a prebiotic-rich, low-calorie diet can reduce the prevalence of obesity and related non-communicable diseases. Lentil thus represents a whole food source of prebiotics that can play a role in efforts to reduce obesity and non-communicable diseases. This chapter provides an overview of the current obesity-related health issues, holistic approaches to reduce obesity, worldwide lentil production, and the promise of pulses, mainly lentil, to be a whole food solution to combat global obesity. In addition, lentil’s superior LMWC profile and the genetic potential for further enrichment of prebiotic carbohydrates are briefly discussed.

Part of the book: Grain Legumes

By Smita Kaul, Akanksha Singh, Chandrashekhar Biradar and Shiv Kumar

Food legume crops are gaining significant recognition as a crucial option for sustainable intensification of rice fallows in rainfed lowland agroecology, offering substantial potential to enhance food and nutritional security while enhancing soil health and ecosystem services. In South Asia, 22.3 million hectares of fallow land offer opportunities to boost food legume production, nutrition, soil health, and smallholder farmer income by leveraging legumes’ nitrogen-fixing ability and integrating them into cropping systems to improve soil organic carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Legume-based intensification and diversification have been accompanied by innovations that include short-duration, nutrient-dense, high-yielding varieties that fit well in the rice fallow system. Innovative seed systems, coupled with effective value addition support, market linkages, and intensive extension efforts, are positioned to enable farmers to choose food legumes as a sustainable option for crop intensification and diversification. Despite advancements, challenges such as location-specific innovations and scaling up adoption of modern technologies must be addressed to fully realize the impact of food legumes in cereal-based cropping systems. This chapter highlights the importance of introducing food legumes to sustainably intensify rice-based cropping systems in South Asia, covering existing approaches, potential scope, challenges, and associated socioeconomic and environmental impacts.

Part of the book: Legumes Crops - Cultivation, Uses and Benefits [Working title]