All About Pulse Crops

“Pulse crops” refers to a group of more than 60 different grain legume crops grown around the world. The seeds of pulse crops are important in human nutrition. They are typically made up of 20-25% protein and 40-50% starch; they are also rich in dietary fiber and usually have only small amounts of oil. The protein of pulse seeds is high in the amino acids lysine and methionine, making pulses nutritionally complementary to cereals, which are deficient in these two essential amino acids. Pulses are the main source of protein in the diet of vegetarians, and feature prominently in the traditional cuisine of virtually every region of the globe. Seeds and pods of many pulse crops are also used as fresh vegetables when the seeds are still tender. Pulses are mainly consumed as human food, but some crops such as field pea and faba bean are also used in animal feeds as a source of protein and starch. Pulses are usually consumed in the form of soup or stew, cooked directly from the whole or split dry seeds, or in canned form in some countries. Most pulses, but especially chickpea, are also prepared as flour.

The five most important global pulse crops are common bean, field pea, chickpea, lentil and faba bean. Pulse crops are valuable as an annual legume in crop rotations because they provide breaks in disease cycles that affect the major cereal and oilseed crops. They also provide a diversified source of farm income. An important feature of pulse crops, as of other legumes, is their ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere in association with bacteria known as Rhizobia, thereby reducing the requirement for nitrogen fertilizer.

Historical records of farms and research stations in Saskatchewan from 1900-1950 show that some pioneering farmers produced beans and peas. The modern pulse industry started in the 1960s, when farmers began producing and exporting field peas and lentils. During the 1970s the industry grew slowly but steadily, building on progress in research and development in agronomy and plant breeding, especially for lentil, field pea and faba bean. In the 1980s the industry began a dramatic expansion in response to international market demand from pulse importers in countries where cereal and oilseeds crops had begun to replace pulse crop production.

Each crop sector within the pulse industry produces a diverse range of products that changes in response to market demand. The lentil crop originally consisted of green lentils of various sizes, but since 1996 the red lentil crop has been expanding. Most of the field pea crop is the yellow type, grown for either human food or animal feed. Green peas are grown for human consumption; and small amounts of other types such as marrowfat for snack foods, maple types for bird feed, and small-seeded forage types are also grown. The other pulse crops, such as common bean and faba bean, are grown in smaller quantities. Most dry bean production is pinto or black bean. Small amounts of medium-sized faba bean are grown each year for consumption in Mediterranean markets.