Horticulture

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Mainstreaming Efficient Legume Seed Systems in Eastern Africa: Challenges, opportunities and contributions towards improved livelihoods
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2018) Ojiewo, Christopher Ochieng; Rubyogo, Jean-Claude; Wesonga, John; Bishaw, Zewdie; Abang, Mathew M.; Gelalcha, Solomon
Legumes are important components of sustainable farming systems. They are useful to diversify and intensify cropping systems as double, catch, relay and intercrops; fix ‘free’ nitrogen to soils from the atmosphere and improve soil health that boost cereal crop yields; act as rotation crops for breaking disease and pest cycles; increase and diversify smallholder incomes (and hence buffer them from the effects of price, pest and climate-related production fluctuations); enhance quality of household diets because of their higher protein and micro-nutrient content compared with starch-based staple cereal crops; and provide good sources of animal feed (high protein crop residues and byproducts) and low carbon footprint, mitigating climate change...