Food production and consumption need to substantially change to meet global environmental and public health goals. Increasing grain legume consumption in most countries is key to providing nourishing food for all while contributing to cropping system sustainability with relatively low environmental impact. But what actions have the potential to increase such consumption? The wide knowledge of how to cultivate grain legumes among Swedish farmers, low current consumption in most of the population, and prior shifts in dietary patterns make Sweden an interesting context for studying the potential increase of grain legumes in diets. We identify system-level actions in peer-reviewed and grey literature with the potential to increase grain legume consumption and apply the leverage points framework to evaluate the transformative potential of these actions for the food system in Sweden. Our findings show that most actions suggested in the literature so far focus on increased production, while fewer suggestions integrate production and consumption. Few actions address the deeper leverage points with most transformative potential compared with those with less transformative potential. We qualitatively analyze the actions and develop a chain of leverage illustrating how several actions together could be combined to support change at the deepest leverage point, creating social norms for the consumption of healthy foods. The chain includes developing new tools, facilities and products; changing standards; building feedback loops; changing the food environment; building new information flows between actors; and reforming the value chain. To implement the actions identified in this analysis, a range of value chain actors and supportive policies at the national and European Union levels will be needed.

This paper presents the results of a study conducted in 2016–2018 in the temperate conditions to evaluate the content and uptake of P, K, Ca and Mg in mixtures of narrowleaf lupin with spring triticale grown for green fodder. Two factors were analysed in the experiment: A – the proportion of components in the mixture: narrowleaf lupine 100%, narrowleaf lupine + spring triticale 75 + 25%, 50 + 50%, 25 + 75%, and spring triticale 100%; B – the harvest stage the flowering stage of narrowleaf lupine, the stage of flat green pod of narrowleaf lupine. Increasing the proportion of spring triticale in the sown mixtures in relation to narrowleaf lupine resulted in a decrease in the content of the analysed macroelements by 8.9%–28.7% on a g/kg DM basis. The greatest uptake on a kg/ha basis of macroelements was found in the mixture with an equal share of both components. Harvesting mixtures at a later stage of development increased the uptake of P, K, Ca and Mg by 98.7%–111.8% because of greater DM yield, but reduced the content of these macroelements by 12.6%–20.8% in the more mature fodder. Mixtures of narrowleaf lupine with spring triticale can provide valuable mineral nutrients for livestock.

The role of legumes in healthy and sustainable diets is increasingly of interest. Few studies have investigated the association between legume consumption and the consumption of other food groups and the intake of nutrients. This study examined how legume consumption is associated with the consumption of other foods and the intake of nutrients among Finnish adults. Our study used cross-sectional data from the population-based FinHealth 2017 Study consisting of 2250 men and 2875 women aged ≥18 years. The associations between legume consumption (quartile classification), food groups and nutrients were analysed using multivariable linear regression. The models were initially adjusted for energy intake and additionally for age, educational level, smoking status, leisure-time physical activity and BMI. Legume consumption had a positive association with age, education level and leisure-time physical activity. The consumption of legumes was positively associated with the consumption of fruits and berries, vegetables, nuts and seeds and fish and fish products and inversely associated with the consumption of red and processed meat, cereals and butter and butter-based fat spreads. Furthermore, legume consumption was positively associated with the intake of protein, fibre, folate, thiamine and salt in both sexes and inversely associated with the intake of saturated fatty acids and sucrose (sucrose, women only). Thus, legume consumption appears to reflect overall healthier food choices. An increase in legume consumption could accelerate the transition to more sustainable diets. The confounding role of other foods and nutrients should be considered when studying associations between legume consumption and health outcomes.

High-tunnel (HT) systems have been shown to effectively improve yields, fruit quality and profitability. In order to maximize returns on investment, HTs are frequently planted successively with both winter and summer cash crops and may include >2 crop cycles per year in some climates. The intense cultivation strategies used in HT systems necessitate increased tillage and nutrient demands posing challenges for soil health, environmental quality and long-term economic sustainability, particularly among organic growers. Seasonal rotations that incorporate fertility-building cover crops, such as legumes and other green manures, have the potential to build soil organic matter, improve crop yield and reduce applications of animal manure and/or compost. The economic impact of cover crop use in HT production systems poses important implications for organic growers. In this study, we present three partial budget analyses to quantify the economic benefits from a leguminous winter cover crop–tomato cash crop rotation in HTs across three regions. Data used in the economic analysis come from multi-year organic HT field trials in Kansas (2016–2019), Kentucky (2016–2019) and Minnesota (2016–2020). Direct financial benefits from hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop N credits were observed but not sufficient to offset the direct and indirect costs of the cover crop practice. A winter cover crop used in organic HT vegetable systems results in negative financial benefits to producers even with conservation incentive payments. These results highlight challenges for organic growers who are required under the USDA National Organic Program to incorporate soil building practices as part of their rotation schedule. The findings will also be of interest to policy makers as they refine cost-share offerings and programming to incentivize cover crop adoption as a conservation strategy.

The combination of florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D is a new, pre-packaged herbicide mixture for use in pastures and hayfields in the United States. Unlike many other pasture herbicides, florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D is reported to preserve white clover. However, limited research exists on the efficacy of florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D on common weed species and on the level of tolerance of white clover to it. Field trials were conducted in Virginia in 2018 to 2020 to evaluate control of various broadleaf weeds with florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D compared to other commonly used herbicides. Field and greenhouse studies were also carried out to assess white clover tolerance. Weed species evaluated included bulbous buttercup, Canada thistle, horsenettle, and broadleaf plantain. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D provided 75% to 99% control of all weeds 90 d after application except for horsenettle (56%), while causing the least white clover injury of any herbicide treatment that was evaluated. Spring herbicide applications resulted in greater bulbous buttercup control compared to fall applications, but florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D provided greater than 81% control from both application timings. There were no differences in aboveground biomass between white clover varieties; however, all herbicides reduced white clover biomass compared to a nontreated control. This research suggests that florpyrauxifen-benzyl + 2,4-D can improve overall forage quality by controlling broadleaf weeds in mixed grass-legume stands while preserving white clover.

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc; BGN) is an important legume grown mainly by small-scale subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, in parts of Thailand and Indonesia. It has a high concentration of seed carbohydrate (55–70%), protein (17–25%), fat (1.4–12%) and dietary fibre (5.2–6.4%). A range of biotic and abiotic stresses together with socio-economic constraints affect its productivity, yield and quality. The changing climate and a growing world population are putting pressure on food production, as world food supply is heavily reliant on few crops. As such, there is a need to broaden crop usage and increase yield of minor crops such as BGN. Improvements in production can potentially be achieved by a combination of advanced phenotyping, genotyping, environmental characterization and overall management approaches. Breeding for advanced lines is complicated by overreliance on landraces. This review aims to provide the current status of BGN production, production constraints and approaches to overcome these, as well as its grain composition and nutritional value. It further discusses and elaborates on potentially available opportunities for overall improvement, so that BGN, like all neglected crops, can play a valuable role in world food security. Efforts should be intensified to improve the overall utilization of BGN and its constituents to make it an economically viable crop.

Legume agronomic research in Southern Africa has often focused on integrating legumes into smallholder cereal cropping systems, but there is limited information available on the feasibility and soil health implications of continuous cropping legumes in the region. Continuous legumes may be suitable in areas with large livestock populations where a premium is placed on high-quality forage, or where efforts are underway to reclaim degraded cropland. Our objectives in this study were to (i) evaluate the performance of diverse legumes under continuous cropping and conservation tillage management with no fertility inputs and (ii) assess the response of soil health parameters to continuous legumes in a semi-arid environment. A 4-year study was conducted in Limpopo, South Africa beginning in the 2011–2012 growing season in which 10 legume and fallow treatments were imposed in the same plots for 4 growing seasons. All legumes responded negatively in varying degrees to continuous cropping in terms of biomass and nutrient accumulation. Lablab (Lablab purpureus L.) was the top-performing legume in the study and accumulated 4.5–13 Mg ha−1 of biomass and 153–345, 11–34, and 75–286 kg ha−1 of N, P, and K, respectively. Lablab often outperformed natural fallow, while other legumes generally performed as well as or inferior to natural fallow, depending on species and growing season. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp) was especially incompatible with continuous cropping and averaged less than 252 kg ha−1 and 2.1 Mg ha−1 of grain and biomass, respectively, from 2012–2013 to 2014–2015. Continuous cropping did not lead to sustained improvements in soil health. By 2014–2015, soil organic matter for all treatments had either declined or resembled baseline values. Rates of potentially mineralizable N in cowpea, lablab, vining mucuna (Mucuna pruriens var. Utilis), natural fallow, and bare ground plots fell by 70–96% during the study. There was also evidence for lower recovery of leached K by legumes compared to natural fallow species. In conclusion, legumes, such as lablab, should be considered as continuous forages on marginal land in areas where high-quality forage is in demand, but continuous cropping legumes without fertility inputs are not an effective strategy for improving soil health on degraded cropland in this semi-arid region of Southern Africa. Future research efforts may focus on the grazing strategies and baling frequencies required to optimize annual biomass accumulation of continuous lablab to meet livestock demand and support smallholder livelihoods.

Excavations at the early medieval stronghold at Kłodnica, eastern Poland, revealed the largest known deposit of grain legumes in Europe. Dating to the turn of the tenth to eleventh century AD, and accompanied by a notable assemblage of finds, the discovery points to inter-regional connections.

Legumes are rich sources of essential nutrients, and their potential health benefits were reported in many studies. Several studies showed a positive effect of legumes on obesity, but randomised clinical trials are limited in the Korean population. The present intervention study investigated the impact of legumes on body weight in obese Korean subjects. A total of 400 participants (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) were randomised into two groups. The legume-enriched diet (LD) group replaced one-third of their refined rice consumption with legumes three times per day as a carbohydrate source. In contrast, the usual diet (UD) group consumed their UD. The mean weight loss at 12 weeks was 2·87 (sem 0·21) kg and 0·17 (sem 0·11) kg in the LD and UD, respectively, which was significantly different between the groups (P < 0·001). HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin levels were increased, and levels of glucose, insulin, TAG, and 8-epi-PGF2α and the homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (IR) index value decreased at 12 weeks compared with baseline in the LD. The consumption of legumes may accelerate weight loss accompanied by regulation of adiponectin and 8-epi-PGF2α in obese subjects. In particular, legumes seemed to induce significant changes in BMI by increasing adiponectin in females. Additionally, increases in plasma adiponectin due to greater substantial weight loss may be related to the improvement in IR.

East African highland bananas and climbing beans are important crops for food and income in the highlands of Uganda. Intercropping of banana with legume crops is a common practice, yet climbing bean intercropping with perennials has rarely been studied in Uganda. To understand how best to improve the production system, we assessed the effects of pruning of banana leaves on light availability for climbing beans, resulting effects on bean yields and potential differences in shade tolerance between two climbing bean varieties in the eastern and southwestern highlands of Uganda. Measurements of the transmission of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) through the banana canopy were combined with yield measurements of a local and improved climbing bean variety and with banana pseudostem girth in two seasons (2016A and 2016B). We also compared yields of intercropped with sole-cropped climbing beans. The mean fractions of PAR transmitted through the banana canopy – hence available for beans – were 0.43 on pruned and 0.38 on non-pruned subplots, a significant 15% difference. The improved light availability did not increase climbing bean yield. Although no direct relationship between light interception and bean yields was found, bean yields on the most and least shaded parts of the intercropped fields differed significantly, suggesting that beans do benefit from improved light availability in intercropping. Generally, yields of sole-cropped beans were significantly larger than of intercropped beans, but we could not single out the effects of competition for light, water, and/or nutrients. The bean varieties responded similarly to the pruning treatments. The local variety tended to perform relatively better in intercropping, the improved variety in sole cropping, though differences were not significant overall. Pruning and retention of eight banana leaves over the course of a season did not affect banana pseudostem girths in the mature banana plantations. Although light availability improved, farmers may not expect a major effect on bean yield. Future research may focus on the effects of a lower number of leaves retained, comparing a number of bean varieties for suitability in sole or intercropping, or on other factors influencing the relation between the two crops such as relative plant densities of beans and bananas.

Pulses such as peas, beans or lentils are one of the most complete foods at the nutritional level; however, they are one of the most often neglected foods in the diets of university students. Entrance to university translates into a major lifestyle change for many young people, and the habits acquired or cemented at this time will remain into adulthood. The objective of this study is to analyse the association between personal/sociodemographic factors, dietary intake of other food groups and the consumption of pulses in first-year university students. This cross-sectional study is part of the UniHcos project, a multicentre study of multipurpose prospective cohorts in eleven Spanish universities. Data from 9862 university students were collected through an online self-questionnaire completed by all students who met the selection criteria and agreed to participate in the project during the 2011–2018 academic years. Of students, 75·8 % presented an inadequate (≤2 times/week) consumption of pulses. Living outside the family home in either a student residence (OR 0·76; 95 % CI 0·69, 0·84) or rental (OR 0·81; 95 % CI 0·70, 0·95) decreased the compliance with recommendations on the consumption of pulses. Low consumption of pulses is seemingly not restricted to a specific profile or dietary pattern among university students, and no specific focus group for intervention can be identified. Policies promoting the consumption of pulses among the university population as a whole are necessary to increase compliance rates with the dietary recommendations.

Pintoi peanut is a warm-season perennial legume that shows promise as a forage crop for the southeastern United States, however, little is known about the proper methods of weed management during establishment for this species. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of pintoi peanut to tolerate applications of PRE and POST herbicides during the year of and year after planting. The effects of herbicide treatments on percentage of visual estimates of injury and stand counts of pintoi peanut were investigated at Ona and Marianna, FL, in 2015 and 2016. All PRE herbicides did not result in significant injury or stand reduction. Pintoi peanut’s tolerance to POST herbicides was higher when plants were emerged for at least 2 wk prior to herbicide application. Stands of pintoi peanut that were planted the previous year appear to tolerate all herbicides examined in this work, except sulfosulfuron. Results of this study indicate that at the year of planting pintoi peanut is tolerant to PRE applications of pendimethalin, imazethapyr, and imazapic. Pintoi peanut appears to tolerate applications of 2,4-D, carfentrazone, imazapic and imazethapyr the year after planting at the rates utilized in this study. Future research should evaluate the effects of multiple herbicide applications and tank-mixes to obtain satisfactory weed control and selectivity in pintoi peanut swards.

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) produced and released by eructation to the atmosphere in large volumes by ruminants. Enteric CH4 contributes significantly to global GHG emissions arising from animal agriculture. It has been contended that tropical grasses produce higher emissions of enteric CH4 than temperate grasses, when they are fed to ruminants. A number of experiments have been performed in respiration chambers and head-boxes to assess the enteric CH4 mitigation potential of foliage and pods of tropical plants, as well as nitrates (NO3−) and vegetable oils in practical rations for cattle. On the basis of individual determinations of enteric CH4 carried out in respiration chambers, the average CH4 yield for cattle fed low-quality tropical grasses (>70% ration DM) was 17.0 g CH4/kg DM intake. Results showed that when foliage and ground pods of tropical trees and shrubs were incorporated in cattle rations, methane yield (g CH4/kg DM intake) was decreased by 10% to 25%, depending on plant species and level of intake of the ration. Incorporation of nitrates and vegetable oils in the ration decreased enteric CH4 yield by ∼6% to ∼20%, respectively. Condensed tannins, saponins and starch contained in foliages, pods and seeds of tropical trees and shrubs, as well as nitrates and vegetable oils, can be fed to cattle to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions under smallholder conditions. Strategies for enteric CH4 mitigation in cattle grazing low-quality tropical forages can effectively increase productivity while decreasing enteric CH4 emissions in absolute terms and per unit of product (e.g. meat, milk), thus reducing the contribution of ruminants to GHG emissions and therefore to climate change.

Plant breeding has brought about improvements in the herbage yield potential, forage quality and functional traits of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Under conditions of low external inputs, grassland swards based on perennial ryegrass often contain dicotyledonous species (legume and non-legume). Cultivar-specific functional traits such as growth form or phenology affect the competitive ability and yield in mixtures, but the extent to which cultivars with different functional traits affect forage quality in mixtures compared with pure stands is unknown. Therefore, we analysed four perennial ryegrass cultivars, each representing a combination of two functional traits with respect to phenology (early v. late heading) and growth form (upright v. prostrate) on forage quality, in a field experiment over 5 years. Each cultivar was grown in binary-mixtures with Trifolium repens L., as four-species mixtures with Taraxacum officinale L. and Plantago lanceolata L., and as grass monocultures. The effect of functional traits was dominant in the primary growth and persisted in pure stands but not in the mixtures from the third year onwards. Prostrate cultivars allowed the development of a greater proportion of clover and forbs within the mixtures, resulting in increased protein and energy and reduced fibre contents. In mixtures, forage quality was generally higher in the last regrowth. In conclusion, the indirect effects of growth form on forage quality due to modifications of botanical composition were more important than direct effects on forage quality.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in mountain grasslands is important to quantify their relevance in the global carbon budget. However, complex interactions between environmental variables and vegetation on NEE remain unclear; and there is a lack of empirical data, especially from the high elevations and the Mediterranean region. A chamber-based survey of CO2 exchange measurements was carried out in two climatically contrasted grasslands (montane v. subalpine) of the Pyrenees; assessing the relative contribution of phenology and environmental variables on CO2 exchange at the seasonal scale, and the influence of plant functional type dominance (grasses, forbs and legumes) on the NEE light response. Results show that phenology plays a crucial role as a CO2 exchange driver, suggesting a differential behaviour of the vegetation community depending on the environment. The subalpine grassland had a more delayed phenology compared to the montane, being more temperature than water constrained. However, temperature increased net CO2 uptake at a higher rate in the subalpine than in the montane grassland. During the peak biomass, productivity (+74%) and net CO2 uptake (NEE +48%) were higher in the subalpine grassland than in the montane grassland. The delayed phenology at the subalpine grassland reduced vegetation's sensitivity to summer dryness, and CO2 exchange fluxes were less constrained by low soil water content. The NEE light response suggested that legume dominated plots had higher net CO2 uptake per unit of biomass than grasses. Detailed information on phenology and vegetation composition is essential to understand elevation and climatic differences in CO2 exchange.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of wholegrain and legume consumption on the incidence of age-related cataract in an older Australian population-based cohort. The Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) is a population-based cohort study of eye diseases among older adults aged 49 years or older (1992–1994, n 3654). Of 2334 participants of the second examination of the BMES (BMES 2, 1997–2000), 1541 (78·3 % of survivors) were examined 5 years later (BMES 3) who had wholegrain and legume consumption estimated from the FFQ at BMES 2. Cataract was assessed using photographs taken during examinations following the Wisconsin cataract grading system. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess associations with the 5-year incidence of cataract from BMES 2 (baseline) to BMES 3. The 5-year incidence of cortical, nuclear and posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataract was 18·2, 16·5 and 5·9 %, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex and other factors, total wholegrain consumption at baseline was not associated with incidence of any type of cataract. High consumption of legumes showed a protective association for incident PSC cataract (5th quintile: adjusted OR 0·37; 95 % CI 0·15, 0·92). There was no significant trend of this association across quintiles (P = 0·08). In this older Australian population, we found no associations between wholegrain intake at baseline and the 5-year incidence of three cataract types. However, intake of legumes in the highest quintile, compared with the lowest quintile, may protect against PSC formation, a finding needing replication in other studies.

The role of silicon (Si) in alleviating the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses, including defence against insect herbivores, in plants is widely reported. Si defence against insect herbivores is overwhelmingly studied in grasses (especially the cereals), many of which are hyper-accumulators of Si. Despite being neglected, legumes such as soybean (Glycine max) have the capacity to control Si accumulation and benefit from increased Si supply. We tested how Si supplementation via potassium, sodium or calcium silicate affected a soybean pest, the native budworm Helicoverpa punctigera Wallengren (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Herbivory reduced leaf biomass similarly in Si-supplemented (+Si) and non-supplemented (–Si) plants (c. 29 and 23%, respectively) relative to herbivore-free plants. Both Si supplementation and herbivory increased leaf Si concentrations. In relative terms, herbivores induced Si uptake by c. 19% in both +Si and –Si plants. All Si treatments reduced H. punctigera relative growth rates (RGR) to a similar extent for potassium (−41%), sodium (−49%) and calcium (−48%) silicate. Moreover, there was a strong negative correlation between Si accumulation in leaves and herbivore RGR. To our knowledge, this is only the second report of Si-based herbivore defence in soybean; the rapid increase in leaf Si following herbivory being indicative of an induced defence. Taken together with the other benefits of Si supplementation of legumes, Si could prove an effective herbivore defence in legumes as well as grasses.