kacang

A pulse (Latin "puls",^[1] from Ancient Greek πόλτος poltos "porridge")^[2] is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used for food and animal feed. Archaeologists have discovered traces of pulse production around Ravi River (Punjab), the seat of the Indus Valley civilization, dating circa 3300 BC. Meanwhile, evidence of lentil cultivation has also been found in Egyptian pyramids and dry pea seeds have been discovered in a Swiss village that are believed to date back to the Stone Age. Archaeological evidence suggests that these peas must have been grown in the eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia regions at least 5,000 years ago and in Britain as early as the 11th century.^[3] The term "pulse", as used by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry seed. This excludes green beans and green peas, which are considered vegetable crops. Also excluded are crops that are mainly grown for oil extraction (oilseeds like soybeans and peanuts), and crops which are used exclusively for sowing (clovers, alfalfa). However, in common use these distinctions are not clearly made, and many of the varieties so classified and given below are also used as vegetables, with their beans in pods while young; cooked in whole cuisines; and sold for the purpose; for example, black eyed beans, lima beans and Toor or pigeon peas are thus eaten as fresh green beans, or cooked as part of a meal. 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 fix nitrogen.
Just like words such as "bean" and "lentil", the word "pulse" may also refer to just the seed, rather than the entire plant

World economy

India is the world's largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses. Pakistan, Canada, Burma, Australia and the United States, in that order, are significant exporters and are India's most significant suppliers. Canada now accounts for approximately 35% of global pulse trade each year. The global pulse market is estimated at 60 million tonnes.^[3]

Classification

Variety of pulses

FAO recognizes 11 primary pulses.

1. Dry beans (Phaseolus spp. including several species now in Vigna)
   • Kidney bean, haricot bean, pinto bean, navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
   • Lima bean, butter bean (Phaseolus lunatus)
   • Azuki bean, adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)
   • Mung bean, golden gram, green gram (Vigna radiata)
   • Black gram, urad (Vigna mungo)
   • Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
   • Ricebean (Vigna umbellata)
   • Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)
   • Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius)
2. Dry broad beans (Vicia faba)
   • Horse bean (Vicia faba equina)
   • Broad bean (Vicia faba)
   • Field bean (Vicia faba)
3. Dry peas (Pisum spp.)
   • Garden pea (Pisum sativum var. sativum)
   • Protein pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense)
4. Chickpea, garbanzo, Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum)
5. Dry cowpea, black-eyed pea, blackeye bean (Vigna unguiculata )
6. Pigeon pea, Arhar /Toor, cajan pea, Congo bean, gandules (Cajanus cajan)
7. Lentil (Lens culinaris)
8. Bambara groundnut, earth pea (Vigna subterranea)
9. Vetch, common vetch (Vicia sativa)
10. Lupins (Lupinus spp.)
11. Minor pulses, including:
    • 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)