Abstract
Comparative studies of the pulses of the Middle East and of their wild progenitors indicate that the pattern of pulse domestication is completely different from that of cereals in the same region. Wild legumes are not suitable for cultivation because of their conspicuous seed dormancy. Pre-adaptation of wild pulses for cultivation through loss of the seed dormancy mechanism apparently occurred in wild populations and may have been influenced by the gathering practices of man in pre-agricultural times. Pod indehiscence was of low value in pulse domestication and had evolved after the crop was well established and widespread.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 60-65 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Economic Botany |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1987 |
