Problemas de la infraestructura de movilidad y su repercusión urbana

The grain legumes, popularly known as pulses, constitute an important group contributing towards nutritionally good protein-rich diet. Most of these grain legume species belong to single family with 7 genera and 14 species. Along

with the pseudocereals and millets, this diversity provides staple or major supplementary food and also puts a curb on malnutrition among the rural poor, marginal farmers who grow many of these underutilized minor legume crops under subsistence farming. The Leguminosae with 10 species of genera such as Lathyrus, Macrotyloma, Vicia, and in particular Vigna, are usually grown as minor or occasionally as major crops in diverse agro-climates.

Quite often, young parts of these species are consumed as vegetables.

While most of these species diversity is sporadically distributed throughout Asia-Pacific region, some species exhibit more restricted distribution.

1. Most widely distributed are the Southeast Asia; V. angularis/adzuki bean more confined to East Asia and in the Hindu Kush Himalayas where it is spordically grown.

2. More confined to semi-drier tracts is Vigna aconitifolia/moth bean, mainly grown in western India in Rajasthan and to a minor extent in Deccan penisular region in Andhra Pradesh.

Another legume of importance in drier tracts is Lathyrus sativus grass pea, with more cultivation in central India, in Madhya Pradesh, parts of drier Maharashtra, north east Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere in Bangladesh.

3. Vigna trilobata locally called pillepesara, is a minor cultigen that got domesticated in parts of Tamil Nadu in South India where it is sporadically grown.

4. Macrotyloma uniflorum/horse gram which possibly got domesticated in South India, is widely grown in this tract, with limited diversity of cold adaptable types in Western and Central Himalayas in India and Nepal.

5. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus/

winged bean is considered to be of South Pacific/ Papua New Guinea origin, with more diversity in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia extending to Indo-China and northeastern India, to Southern India and Sri Lanka. It is more of a backyard cultigen for local consumption and not much grown nor successful as a field crop. In Myanmar, it is grown for grain and green pods and also for edible tubers.

6. E xo t ic l e g u m e d ive rs i t y of underutilized species includes crops such as Vicia faba of West Asian origin, which is more cultivated (though sporadically) in India in the Himalayas, and in China. Further, efforts are on way to examine the potential of a African dryland crop, Vigna subterranea, being tried as an introduction to drier Western India in Gujarat. Diversity in some underutilized Phaseolus species of tropical American origin occurs sporadically throughout Asia-Pacific,

such as of P. coccineus, P. lunatus, in backyards or homegardens in diverse tropical to temperate habitats, grown mainly for local consumption.

Overall, more diversity occurs in the Chinese - Japanese and Indian region of diversity of cultivated plants, less so in Indo-Chinese-Indonesian and least in the Australian/Pacific region; East Asia and South Asia are the regions of domestication and diversification of grain legumes in Asia-Pacific region (Arora, 1985; van der Maesen and Somaatmadja, 1991).

Check-list of species

Lathyrus sativus L. (Leguminosae) Grass pea. West Asian origin; sporadically grown in South Asia - in central India in drier tracts, and in Bangladesh;

sporadically grown in Nepal; introduced into Australia. A minor pulse (cum fodder crop); grains are boiled for dal-like preparation; also made into flour and used in various ways.

Macrotyloma uniflorum Roxb. Syn.

Dolichos uniflorus Lam., D. biflorus L.

(Leguminosae) Horse gram. South Asia, mainly India. Maximum variability occurs in the western peninsular region of

Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.

Winged bean, Goa bean (Leguminosae).

Originated in Papua New Guinea/

East Africa (based on close relative P.

grandiflora) All parts of this protein rich grain legume/vegetable crop are edible; tender pods, seeds, leaf as vegetable and tubers as salad.

Pueraria thunbergiana (Sieb. & Zucc.) Benth. (Leguminosae). China and Japan, cultivated as cover crop, green manure, also hay crop in New Guinea as tuber crop.

Vicia faba L. (Leguminosae) Broad bean, Faba bean. West Asian origin with diversity in the Himalayan region.

Grown in South, Southeast and East Asia; mainly a cold weather crop in India, Nepal, China. Grown both for grains (as pulse) and for green pods used as a vegetable. Several cultivar groups identified based on broad, long or small sized pods, with variation in seed size, colour etc. (i.e. cv. groups major, minor).

Vicia sativa L. (Leguminosae) Common vetch. Mediterranean/West Asian origin; sparingly cultivated in hilly tracts of northwestern Himalayas and adjoining region. Grains are consumed as minor pulse (also used as a forage plant).

Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal Syn. Phaseolus aconitifolius Jacq.

(Leguminosae) Moth bean. South Asia, mainly in drier tracts of Pakistan, India (western India particularly Rajasthan), also in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China. Grown as pulse crop. Grains are eaten boiled, roasted and as sprouted

salad. High yielding types developed in India where maximum variability occurs in wild and domesticated forms.

Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi Syn. Phaseolus angularis (Willd.) W.F.

Wight. (Leguminosae) Adzuki bean.

An old cultigen of East Asian origin-a native of Japan, much grown in China, Japan and Korea; South/Southeast Asia and in the Far East, sporadic in the Himalayas. Grains are boiled and eaten as pulse and tender pods as vegetable, in Japan as chatney. High yielding varieties developed in Japan/

East Asia.

Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper. (Leguminosae) Black gram. Indian origin, mainly grown in South Asia - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, introduced in Indo-China, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Both bushy and spreading types occur with much variability in pod size, bearing, seed size, colour, etc. Several domesticated forms occur in Western Ghats/hilly tracts of India and are like the wild progenitor var.

sylvestris. A highly nutritious pulse much preferred in north India, and Nepal.

Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek. Green gram (Leguminosae). India, Myanmar, spread to south China, Indo-China, Java.

Nutritius pulse.

Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc. Syn.

Voandzeia subterranea (L.) Thouars.

(Leguminosae) Bambara groundnut. West African introduction, sparingly grown in South-Southeast Asia. Seeds are boiled and eaten as pulse, also consumed in

roasted form. It is under trial in hot, dry region of western Indian plains for its possible potential, also likewise in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia.

Vigna trilobata (L.) Verdc. Syn. Phaseolus trilobus (L.) Schreb. (Leguminosae) Pillipesara. South Asia-mainly in South India, localized cultivation. Seeds are cooked as a minor pulse.

Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi &

Ohashi Syn. Phaseolus calcaratus Roxb. (Leguminosae) Rice bean. East Asian/Eastern Himalayan origin, grown in northeastern India, Hindu Kush Himalayas, East/Southeast Asia China, Japan, Korea, and in the Philippines;

sporadically introduced in Malaysia and Indonesia, extending to the Pacific Islands. Much diversity in cultivated types occur for both viny and bushy types, pod size and seed size/colour.

Grains are boiled and eaten as pulse usually with rice; young pods used as vegetable.

Wisteria branchybotrys Sieb. & Zucc.

(Leguminosae). China, Japan, cultivated for its fibrous bark.