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What is a Legume
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Nitrogen is an important fertilizer for both farmers and gardeners alike. Legumes have a nitrogen fixing ability (due to a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia, a bacteria, found in the root nodules).
Legumes can be used as a rotational crop to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen.
Farmed legumes fall into two classes: forage and grain:
Forage legumes, like Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Crownvetch, Hairy Vetch, and Birdsfoot Trefoil are sown in pasture and grazed by livestock. The seed and foliage of forage legumes have a comparatively higher protein content than non-legume material due to the additional nitrogen that legumes receive through the symbiotic relationship with the rhizobia.
Grain legumes, such as beans, lentils, lupins, peas, and peanuts are cultivated for their seeds (also called pulses). These seeds are used for consumption (or oil production).
Because of their deep tap root, legumes are also included in many erosion control mixtures such as our roadside mixture, and our forage base mixture.
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