The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses! Pulses are legumes raised for their seed crop. They include lentils, dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas ( also known as garbanzo beans), lupini, and cowpeas, among other legume seed crops that are better known in Africa and Asia. Pulses are hardy and drought-tolerant. They are delicious and nutritious, excellent sources of fiber, protein, and iron, that are easy to cook.

As is true for other leguminous crops, pulses benefit from a mutualistic symbiosis with root-nodulating, nitrogen-fixing bacteria known as rhizobia.

Click here for more information on the International Year of Pulses.