View source for Pulse (legume)

{{Mergeto|Bean|date=July 2007}}

'''Pulses''' are defined by the [[Food and Agricultural Organization]] of the United Nations (FAO) as annual [[legume|leguminous]] crops yielding from one to twelve [[grain]]s or [[seed]]s of variable size, shape and color within a [[pod]]. Pulses are used for food and animal feed.

The term pulses, as used by the FAO, is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry grain. This therefore excludes green beans and green peas, which are considered vegetable crops.
Also excluded are crops which are mainly grown for oil extraction ([[oilseeds]] like soybeans and peanuts), and crops which are used exclusively for sowing (clovers, alfalfa).

Pulses are important food crops due to their high [[protein]] and [[essential amino acid]] content.
Like many leguminous crops, pulses play a key role in [[crop rotation]] due to their ability to [[Nitrogen fixation|fix nitrogen]].

== Statistics ==

[[India]] is both the world's largest producer and the world's largest importer of pulses.

[[Canada]], [[Myanmar]], [[Australia]] and the [[United States]] are significant exporters of pulses. These are the four most significant suppliers of India's imports, in that order.

The vast majority of leguminous crops grown in the [[United States]] are  [[soybean]]s, used as livestock feed and for extraction of [[vegetable oil]], and [[peanut]]s, neither of which is considered a pulse.

== Classification of pulses ==
[[Image:Phaseolus vulgaris seed.jpg|240px|right|thumb|Variety of pulses]]
FAO recognizes 11 primary pulses.

# Dry beans (''[[Phaseolus]] spp.'' including several species now in ''Vigna'')
#* [[Kidney bean]], [[haricot bean]], [[pinto bean]], [[navy bean]] (''Phaseolus vulgaris'')
#* [[Lima bean]], butter bean (''Vigna lunatus'')
#* [[Azuki bean]], adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis'')
#* [[Mung bean]], golden gram, green gram (''Vigna radiata'')
#* [[Urad (bean)|Black gram]], Urad (''Vigna mungo'')
#* [[Scarlet runner bean]] (''Phaseolus coccineus'')
#* [[Rice bean]] (''Vigna umbellata'')
#* [[Moth bean]] (''Vigna acontifolia'')
#* [[Tepary bean]] (''Phaseolus acutifolius'')
# Dry [[Vicia faba|broad beans]] (''Vicia faba'')
#* [[Vicia faba|Horse bean]] (''Vicia faba equina'')
#* [[Vicia faba|Broad bean]] (''Vicia faba'')
#* [[Vicia faba|Field bean]] (''Vicia faba'')
# Dry peas (''Pisum spp.'')
#* [[Pea|Garden pea]] (''Pisum sativum var. sativum'')
#* [[Protein pea]] (''Pisum sativun var. arvense'')
# [[Chickpea]], Garbanzo, Bengal gram (''Cicer arietinum'')
# Dry [[cowpea]], [[Black-eyed pea]], blackeye bean  (''Vigna unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana'')
# [[Pigeon pea]], Toor, cajan pea, congo bean (''Cajanus cajan'')
# [[Lentil]] (''Lens culinaris'')
# [[Bambara groundnut]], earth pea (''Vigna subterranea'')
# [[Vetch]], common vetch (''Vicia sativa'')
# [[Lupin]]s (''Lupinus spp.'')
# Minor pulses include:
#* [[Lablab]], [[hyacinth bean]] (''Lablab purpureus'')
#* [[Jack bean]] (''Canavalia ensiformis''), [[sword bean]] (''Canavalia gladiata'')
#* [[Winged bean]] (''Psophocarpus teragonolobus'')
#* [[Velvet bean]], cowitch (''Mucuna pruriens var. utilis'')
#* [[Yam bean]] (''Pachyrrizus erosus'')

==Protein content==
*Pulses contain 20 to 25% of proteins, which is double of that found in wheat and three times that found in rice.
*Pulses are sometimes called "poor man’s meat".
*Pulse protein is equivalent in quality to [[soy protein]] which has been shown by the World Health Organization to be the equal of meat, milk and egg proteins.
*While pulses are generally high in protein and the digestibility of that protein is also high, they often are relatively poor in the [[essential amino acid]] [[methionine]].  [[Cereal|Grains]], among other foods, can make up for this shortfall.

==References==
*Food and Agriculture Organization. [http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/faoinfo/economic/faodef/fdef04e.htm DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF COMMODITIES, 4. PULSES AND DERIVED PRODUCTS], 1994

==See also==
*[[Fabaceae]]

==External links==
*http://www.pulsecanada.com/
*http://www.specialcrops.mb.ca/
*http://www.grainlegumes.com/

*http://www.beanslentils.com/about_b&l.htm
*http://www.citras.com.my/
*http://www.citras.com.my/community/citras.asp

[[Category:Vegetables]]
[[Category:lists of foods|Pulse]]
[[Category:Granular materials]]
[[Category:Staple foods]]