As valuable sources of plant-based protein, leguminous vegetables (grain legumes) are essential for global food security and contribute to body growth and development in humans as well as animals. Climate change is a major challenge for agriculture development that creates major problems for the growth and development of plants. However, legume productivity is threatened by climate change factors, including rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, intensified extreme events, and altered pest/pathogen activity. This review synthesizes approximately 136 studies to assess the climate effects on major legume crops. Under all the global emissions trajectories, the mean temperatures are projected to rise beyond the optimal legume growing thresholds by 2050, carrying yield reductions between 10 and 49% for beans, soybeans, cowpeas, and lentils without adaptation measures. The elevated carbon dioxide may transiently enhance the yields up to 18%, but the benefits dramatically decline above 550 ppm and cannot offset the other climate impacts. Altered rainfall along with recurrent drought and heat waves are also expected to decrease the legume crop yields, seed quality, and soil nitrogen levels worldwide. Furthermore, the proliferation of legume pests and fungal diseases poses significant risks, amplified by climate shifts in 84% of the reviewed studies. These multifaceted impacts threaten the productivity gains in leguminous vegetables essential to sustainably meeting the global protein demand. Realizing resilience will require the accelerated development of heat/drought-tolerant legume varieties, enhanced climate-informed agronomic practices, strong policy interventions, and social safety nets explicitly supporting legume producers, in addition to the policies/steps that governments are taking to address the challenges of the climate crisis. This review highlights the essential adaptations and mechanisms required for legume crops to thrive and fulfill their significant roles in global nutrition. It explores how these crops can be improved to better withstand the environmental stresses, enhance their nutritional profiles, and increase their yields. Additionally, the review discusses the importance of legumes in sustainable agriculture and food security, emphasizing their potential to address the future challenges in feeding the growing global population. By focusing on these critical aspects, the review aims to underscore the importance of legumes in ensuring a healthy and sustainable food supply.

Field pea is one of the important short-duration cool season pulse crops which contributes significantly towards food and nutritional security. Two heat-susceptible (HS) and two heat-tolerant (HT) genotypes were selected from the previous study for further characterization. A significant variation was observed for morpho-physiological traits studied. Principal component analysis explained that first two principal components, i.e., PC1 and PC2 showed 76.5% of the total variance in optimal condition, whereas 91.2% of the total variance was covered by the first two PCs in heat stress environment. The seed yield per plant determined significant and positive association with superoxide dismutase and number of seeds per pod under optimal conditions, whereas under heat stress condition, it was positively associated with number of effective pods per plant, biological yield per plant, proline, pod length, number of seeds per pod, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase. The significant reduction was noticed in the susceptible genotypes, whereas tolerant genotypes showed stable and non-significant reduction in chlorophyll content. Further, minimum cell damage and higher hydrogen peroxide production was noticed in the susceptible genotypes. In addition, the biochemical characterization of HS and HT genotypes revealed that the higher expression of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase modulates the tolerant responses in HT genotypes. These genotypes were further used in developing heat-tolerant field pea genotypes.

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a highly nutritious winter-season pulse crop. It is used as food, feed, and fodder and offers nutritional security to low-income people in developing countries. Different graphical approaches like Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Genotype + Genotype × Environment (GGE) biplots were used along with the conventional line × tester to identify efficient parents, combining ability effects and distinct heterotic groups in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The study used a line tester design (9 × 3) for seed yield and its associated traits. In the conventional analysis, lines Aman and HFP 715 and the tester GP02/1108, as well as crosses HFP 715 × GP02/1108, Aman × GP02/1108, and Pant P-243 × HFP 1426 showed the best GCA (General Combining Ability) and SCA (Specific Combining Ability) effects, respectively, for seed yield and its attributes. The ^σ2SCA > ^σ2GCA, and ^σ2D > ^σ2A in almost all the traits indicated control of non-additive gene effects. High manifestations of heterobeltiosis for seed yield were evidenced by the superiority of 24 out of 27 crosses over the better parent. The highest significant heterobeltiosis was observed in the cross HFP 715 × GP02/1108, followed by IPF 14-16 × GP02/1108, IPF 14-16 × HFP 1426, DDR-23 × HFP 1426, DDR-23 × GP02/1108, and Aman × GP02/1108 for yield and its attributes. The biplot techniques were used to analyze data and compare their results with conventional line × tester analysis. Overall, graphical analysis results were very similar to those of traditional analysis. Consequently, it can surely be assumed that these methods could be helpful in presenting data from field pea breeding experiments carried out with line × tester design.

Microorganisms are essential parts of soil and play an important role in mediating many processes and influencing plant health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), the most common of such microorganisms, can benefit plants by enhancing the nutrient-absorbing ability of roots through bio-inoculation, also called biofertilization. Different methods have been tested and proven to be effective in the enhancement of soil nutrient availability. However, the effects of increased application of biological methods with minimal chemical fertilizers are still inconsistent. In this 2-year of fixed-point greenhouse test, we aimed to evaluate the impact of AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) and/or NFB (Azotobacter) on growth, quality, and yield of eggplants under different N levels. Data showed that biofertilizer application with reduced chemical fertilizer had the highest impact on eggplant performance and yield. Indeed, low chemical fertilizers combined with adequate amounts of biofertilizers produced a higher plant height, length and width of leaves, dry matter, number of fruits per plant with better morphology, total yield per plant, and total soluble solids (TSS), suggesting that the use of Azotobacter and R. irregularis as biofertilizers could substantially reduce the use of chemical fertilizers without impairing the quality and yield of eggplant.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an economically important crop cultivated globally for fulfilling human requirements. However, the productivity of the faba bean has declined due to poor management of soil, particularly under salt stress. Salt stress is a major constraint to crop productivity worldwide. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation is to check the behavior of faba bean genotypes on the basis of morphological and biochemical traits in response to salinity. In this study, we studied seven different treatments (including control) applied to faba bean under salt stress. Bioinoculants such as Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas flourescens, Glomus mosseae, and Gigaspora gigantean, each separately and in combination, were tested for their efficacy under salinity stress. Data recorded on days to flowering (48.92 ± 1.15), days to maturity (144.56 ± 1.95), plant height (141.93 ± 4.81 cm), number of branches per plant (4.87 ± 0.09), number of clusters per plant (18.88 ± 0.24), number of pods per plant (48.33 ± 1.06), pod length (5.31 ± 0.02 cm), catalase (222.10 ± 2.76 mg), hydrogen peroxide (24 ± 4.58 mol/g), malondialdehyde (45 ± 1.00 mol/g), electrolyte leakage (54.67 ± 5.03), chlorophyll (51.67 ± 3.06 mg/g), proline content (2.96 ± 0.12 mg/g), and on other parameters indicated the combined inoculation of all the species (consortium) was taken to be highly effective even under salt stress. Overall, the consortium treatment comprising all of the bioinoculants was observed to be the most efficient treatment in improving all the morphological and biochemical traits of faba bean under salt stress. Although, other treatments also demonstrated considerable effects on faba bean as compared to one without bioinoculants under salt stress.

Eight field pea parental lines and their twenty-eight F₁s resulting from diallel design (excluding reciprocal) were analyzed for their combining ability and heterosis for yield and associated traits. ANOVA revealed significant variation among parents and among hybrids for days to 50% flowering, plant height, total number of pods, effective pods, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, biological yield and seed yield; pod length also revealed significant differences among hybrids, suggesting the occurrence of considerable variability for studied traits. Crosses P-1541-16 × P-92-97-11 and P-1541-16 × P-1297-97 displayed significant heterosis over better-parent and control varieties for seed yield and associated traits. Combining ability analysis showedthat SCAvariance was considerably higher than corresponding GCAvariance for all traits. Genotype Aman and P-1297-97 were identified as good general combiners for seed yield, while cross P-1541-16 × P-1297-97, Aman × EC-564817, P-1541-16 × P-92-97-11 and P-1297-97 × P-92-97-11 were identified as specific cross-combiners for most of the studied traits. Consequently, these crosses might be exploited in future breeding programs to find desired segregants. PCA explained 81.68% and 83.34% variability in parents and crosses, respectively, for yield component. Furthermore, trait association between GCA effects and SCA effects demonstrates that biological yield, total number of pods, and effective pods exhibit additive gene action, but 100-seed weight exhibits non-additive gene action.