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2.2.1 Food legumes
There are several apecles and subspec~es classified as food legumes. But, only few
(15 to 20) genera are vely important, Hundreds of cultivnrs witl~i~i these genera ore
included in the agricultural practices, each having sorue selected attributes. Most ilnportaut
of tliese species are Glycitie irrar, Amchis /i)y~ugoeo, CI~CL'~
(~ri~iiir~iiri. L~IIS (1111i11~rris.
Pisurri ~crfivu~ri, Lor/r)v.irs saiivirs. C(ijnrrres ccijair, Yigiiri ruiiiirio, Vig~in rriu~rgo, Yi,qiitr
ocoirirfo/icr, Viyrrci rtr~ibcllntc~, Vigiia rirrgrricril~i/ir, Plroseulir~ vrrlgriris, Mrrrro~~~lorrrri
nuj7onrr11 etc. These species col~stitute over 80% of total food legume output. 1111t1;1lly
many of these specles were thougl~t to be recalcitlant ill
tissue culture and latcr
advancements ol' biotcchnological tecliiiiqlles gr;rdunlly e;ised the technical difficult~cs.
Micropropagation was relatively easier wl~cli colnpared to adve~~titious shoot ~~rgenerauon,
where the shoots originate fro111 pre-existing nieristems. Advelitilious regeneration is a pre-
requisite for a successful ge~iet~c transforniation. Each species responded differently In
tissue culture and some of tlie protocols were successf't~lly used for gcnctic transforniation.
Organogenesis is a widely used tissue culture strategy for rcge~icration of whole
plants via direct and indirect illduction of varlous plant organs such as sl~oots atid roots.
Generally shoots are induced ~~iitially fiom selcc~ed expla~its followed by roots. Mult~ple
shoots are il~duced e~ther directly or through callus phase where the techniques are termed
as direct and ind~rect ol.gal~ogenesis respectively.
Direcr organogeriesis: Following are some selected repons where organogenesis
without any intermediary callus phase lias been reported in various ecol~omically in~portal~t