<div>Background: Legume production and consumption are essential concepts for sustainability of functional food production, food safety and agricultural sustainability. Production of legumes fluctuates owing to various reasons. The present research aimed to identify current situations and find solutions to sustainability principles. Additionally, the current situation about legume farming in Turkey, the sector situation, future expectations, facilities, strengths and weaknesses, targets, suggestions, plans, as well as the effect on input costs for legumes, profitability, economic and productivity factors, etc. production components on key sustainability issues were evaluated. 
 
Methods: In this research during 2021, survey was realized by 200 legume growers in Uşak province with face to face method. In addition to the results obtained, evaluations were made to ensure sustainability by conducting extensive research. 
 
Result: Investigation of this research showed that, legume cultivation is mostly done in small areas, crop rotation is applied with cereals, certified seeds are less preferred due to their expensiveness, pneumatic seeder is used while top fertilizer is not applied. The vast majority of farmers stated that they were not satisfied with legume cultivation. Additionally, there is need for development of better adapted and qualified varieties, standardization of products and easy market opportunity, better cost of input and regulation of product price, well planned schedule for import and political supports.</div>

​Evaluation of Legume Farming in Turkey and Agricultural Sustainability

<div>Background: Increasing demands of food, depleting land, degrading land resources and changing climate are some of the important factors driving the cropping systems of any agro-ecological zone in the world. Cropping systems have been traditionally structured to maximize crop yields. Now, there is a strong need to design cropping systems which take into consideration the emerging social, economical and ecological or environmental concerns. Legumes can provide opportunities for increased productivity to be sustained because of their adaptability to various cropping patterns and ability to fix nitrogen. Legume-based crop rotation helps to conserve organic matter, maximise soil nitrogen, balance soil nutrients, maintain soil physical properties and break soil-borne disease cycles. Moreover, with increasing fertilizer prices and emphasis of the government for doubling the farmer&rsquo;s income by reducing cost of cultivation, the current trend is to explore the possibility of supplementing chemical fertilizer with the organic ones, more particularly organic manures and bio-fertilizer of microbial origin. The current study is aimed to increase small and marginal farmer&rsquo;s income and to reduce cost of cultivation through legume based vegetable cropping systems and to find out best farming practices. 
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Methods: Field experiments were conducted at Organic Farm Holta, Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural farming, CSK HPKV, Palampur (H.P.) during kharif and rabi seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20 on silty clay loam soil to study the performance of different farming practices in legume based cropping system under mid- hills of H.P. Himalayas. The experiment was laid out under Split plot design with three replications comprising of three sequences in legume vegetable-based cropping systems i.e., &ldquo;Soybean-Onion&rdquo;, &ldquo;Okra-Pea&rdquo; and &ldquo;Mash-Garlic&rdquo; under different farming practices i.e., Organic farming, Natural farming, Inorganic and Integrated farming practices. For comparison of different crops soybean equivalent yield and pea equivalent yields were calculated in kharif and rabi seasons, respectively. 
 
Result: In kharif seasons okra crop attained highest soybean equivalent yield followed by soybean and mash crop. In rabi seasons garlic crop attained highest pea grain equivalent yield followed by onion and pea crop. During both kharif seasons organic farming practices attained highest yield and was at par with integrated farming practices. Significantly highest yield was attained from integrated farming practices and was at par with organic farming practices in both rabi seasons. Highest net returns, net returns per rupee attained was in inorganic farming system. Highest cost of cultivation was found in organic farming practices.</div>

​Performance of Different Farming Practices in Legume based Cropping System under Mid-hills of H.P. Himalayas

Background: Cultivating legumes, a significant facet of sustainable agriculture, consistently faces challenges in managing water resources. The present study aimed to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance water use efficiency in legume farming with the potential to reduce the water shortage problem. In this work, Peas as a specific legume is chosen. In Uttar Pradesh, India, precision irrigation was combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize crop productivity, support sustainable farming methods and solve the problem of water constraints. AI-enabled precision irrigation offers significant advantages like precise allocation of water resources, enhanced crop yield, optimal water consumption, cost-effectiveness and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: By employing a systematic methodology, including data collection, AI modeling and thorough data analysis, this work reveals useful findings. The comparison between traditional and AI-driven precision irrigation shows that artificial intelligence delivers enhanced real-time decision-making capabilities. It optimally tailors&rsquo; irrigation schedules and water distribution, considering weather, soil conditions and crop requirements. The achieved water savings, combined with improved legume yields, have significant implications for agricultural techniques with limited resources. 
 
Result: Because of a changing climate and decreasing water supplies, farmers, legislators and other stakeholders can greatly benefit from the suggestions that were obtained from the findings, which provide practical direction. This research serves as a milestone in the integration of AI for precision agriculture, creating a way for a more sustainable and productive future in legume farming.

AI-Enhanced Precision Irrigation in Legume Farming: Optimizing Water Use Efficiency

<div>Background: Long-term and stable livestock productivity could be possible only through a year-round supply of quality green fodder and it is essential for the sustainability of dairy farms. The year-round supply of quality green fodder is challenging to livestock farmers; however, it is possible by adopting perennial grass-legume intercropping systems.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment with eight treatments consisting of two perennial grasses (Napier- bajra hybrid grass and guinea grass) alone or in combination with three fodder legumes (Lucerne, Hedge Lucerne and Sesbania) was conducted for 3 years (2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19) in a sandy loam soil at the Agricultural Research Institute, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad. The treatments were replicated thrice in a randomized block design. Perennial grasses were raised in paired row method (row to row 120cm and plant to plant 60 cm. The legume intercrops were grown with their respective spacing within 120 cm row. Sesbania inter crop was allowed to grow for 6 months and later trimmed to a height of 1 meter in the establishment year. Growth parameters were measured only for grasses at each harvesting and green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields were recorded for both grasses and legumes at each cut and accumulated annually (total 6 cuts/year) for statistical analyses.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results indicated that among the grasses, Napier-bajra hybrid recorded significantly higher green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields; in case of leguminous inter crops, Sesbania recorded highest green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields followed by Hedge Lucerne. About total productivity of the system, Napier-bajra hybrid + Sesbania (2:1) cropping system recorded highest green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields. Highest net returns and B:C ratio was also noted with Napier bajra hybrid +Sesbania (2:1) cropping system and proved to be the best perennial fodder system for year-round supply fodder to the livestock.</div>

Evaluation of Perennial Grass-legume Cropping Systems for Year-round Supply of Fodder for Dairy Farms

Background: Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in a cropping system adversely affects the soil health and crop productivity. To ensure food security, nutritional balance and environmental sustainability, a shift towards eco-friendly organic farming based agricultural systems was imperative. But it also poses challenges for small farmers who owe a small number of animals and they need to purchase bulk organic manures. Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) emerges as an alternate and advocate for low-input, climate-resilient practices which include beejamrit, jeevamrit, achhadana and whapasa. With the aim of increasing the production of the crops per unit area in the present study, different intervals (14, 21 and 28 days) of jeevamrit under natural farming plots and matka khad (30 days interval) under organic farming plots were tested in different maize based intercropping systems. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2020 and 2021 at the Zero Budget Natural Farm (ZBNF), Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural Farming, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur. The experiment was comprised of thirteen treatments which were tested in randomized block design with three replications. 
 
Result: Among different treatments significantly higher values of yield attributes and yield of maize were recorded under maize + lobia and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2020 and maize + soybean and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2021. In case of economics, higher gross returns, net returns and benefit cost ratio were recorded under maize + soybean and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2020, whereas during kharif 2021, maize + soybean and matka khad spray at 30 days interval resulted in the highest returns.

Optimizing Productivity and Economics of Maize + Legumes Intercropping: A Study on the Impact of Natural and Organic Farming Practices

<div style="text-align:justify">Modern intensive monocropping system is becoming unproductive, pest ridden, loss incurring, and resource depleting and hence turning out to be untenable. Lack of discrimination in input use by farm managers and overall poor management are accelerating degradation and desertification processes, and loss of biodiversity particularly add in endangered regions. &nbsp;While, properly designed diverse and strategically located tree/seasonal crop based land use systems can contribute to ecologic services by mitigation land degradation, climate change and desertification, while conserving natural resources and biodiversity. Besides providing, diverse goods and services, on-farm diversity can be considered as an adoptive strategy in areas climatically and biologically vulnerable. Being a potential C sink, tree based land use systems can also mitigate negative impacts of CO2 emission. As green belt/bank these have an important role in maintaining air, water and soil quality in mining and industrial areas. The so-called cellulosic feedstocks can be grown on marginal land, enhance soil fertility by promoting the growth of various soil organisms, and provide a climate- friendly source of energy. There are plenty of underexploited but potential plant species which can find niche in the existing agroecosystems with substantial addition to total production while contributing sufficiently to ecological services. These needs to be identified and useful models are developed for specific situations.</div>

On-farm crop diversity for sustainability and resilience in farming - A review

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Perception is the way something is regarded/understood. It is mainly created by two factors; one is physiological and another is psychological characteristics of the human being. Thus, perception is not only physiological process that is what one sees with the eyes it is a much more complex process involving psychological process too, by which any person selectively assimilates and gives meaning to the stimuli in the environment. It is subjective process, thatis why different people perceive the same stimuli in different manner. The current study aimed to study the factors affecting perception of farm families towards farming as an occupation. 
Methods: The present study was conducted to ascertain the factors affecting perception of farm families towards farming as an occupation. The results are based on the perspective of different researchers.&nbsp; 
Result: There were six major factorsidentified namely economic, socio-cultural, physical, personal, psychological and push and pull factors affecting perception. The economic factors comprised of variables like income, cost of agricultural production and vicious cycle of debt and loan in farming and socio-cultural factors had variables like professional and social status of farming along with family influence affecting children occupational choice. Personal factors consisted of personal interest and satisfaction of farmers derived from farming while physical factors included hard work and lack of resources along with hazardous working conditions in farming. Stress prevalentamong farmers and satisfaction of farmers either with farming income or its status and risk associated with farming as a profession were studied under psychological factors. Push and pull factors comprised the reasons of farm families attracting towards urban areas for achieving better employment avenues and higher social status and prestige associated with other occupations.</div>

Factors Affecting Perception of Farm Families Towards Farming as an Occupation

<div>Agriculture is the economic back-borne of majority of developing countries worldwide. The sector employs over 50% of the working population and contributes about 33% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in majority of African states. However, such contribution by the agricultural sector is likely to be affected by climate change, increasing human population and urbanization which impact on available agricultural land in various ways. There is thus an urgent need for developing countries to create or adopt technologies such as; soil-less farming that will not only address climate change challenges but also enhance crop production for improved food security. This paper reviews the science, origin, dynamics and farming systems under the soil-less agriculture precisely hydroponic farming to assist in widening the scope of knowledge of the hydroponic technologies and their implementation in Africa.</div>

<div>Memoir and Farming Structures under Soil-Less Culture (Hydroponic Farming) and the Applicability for Africa: A Review&nbsp;</div>

<div>The bioactive phytochemicals are the most important bioactive compounds against insect herbivores. These phytochemicals produced by many legumes and react herbivore attacks. Therefore, keeping in mind the said facts, this review discusses the potential use of bioactive compounds like Proteinase inhibitors, trypsin inhibitors, lectins, vicillins (7S storage proteins), phenolics, amino acids, sugars and &alpha;-amylase inhibitors in legume plants as most important weapons that confer resistance against herbivorous insects. These inhibitors inhibiting proteases present in the larval gut and has insecticidal potential against insect pests. This review demonstrates the potential of natural phytochemicals from legume plants and or artificially diet incorporate to inhibit the development of pathogens and insect pests. Thus, legumes can be used to produce phytochemicals as bio-pesticides and minimize or avoid the use of agrochemicals in crop protection. This ability making them interesting bioactive for next generation of sustainable pesticides for more sustainable agriculture.</div>

Legumes: Source of Bioactive Compounds and Their Potential Use in Legume Crops Improvement: A Review

In India, nearly 76 million hectares of land is under rain fed cultivation and therefore, rain fed agriculture will continue to play an important role in the Indian economy. The discouraging results of conventional cropping systems in advancing the productivity of small farms were the driving force in the development of farming systems research. It views the whole farm as a system with the integration of crops, animals, poultry, soils, labor and other all available inputs and environmental influences wherein the farm family attempts to produce outputs within the limitations of its capability and resources and the socio-cultural setting. IFS seem to be the possible solution to the continuous increase of demand for food and nutrition and income stability particularly for small and marginal farmers with little resources. This new concept of IFS will help in productivity enhancement, employment generation, gave more income and nutritional security both for human and livestock. IFS different components are complementary relate with each other and one component become source of food for other components. This literature on scope of rain-fed integrated farming system in dry farming condition is reviewed and presented below.