Global Legume Database Created

PARIS - Jun 16/17 - SNS -- France's Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) has created a database which compares the yield performance of a wide range of legumes from different parts of the world.

Archived in a relational, open-access database that is accessible via the Dryad Digital Repository, researchers can analyze the data using statistical methods to compare different legume species according to several criteria (e.g. grain yield, protein yield, energy yield, nitrogen balance).

They can be used to estimate how the cultivation of legumes affected the productivity of subsequent crops. The data can also be analyzed by means of standard meta-analysis methods in order to rank the performance of a large number of grain legume species, and to identify those of the most interest according to several criteria.

More generally, this database offers a unique opportunity to scientists as it enables the analysis and comparison of legume performance under diverse environmental conditions.

The data was derived from 173 scientific articles and covers 360 experimental sites spread between 18 climatic zones (according to the Koppen-Geiger classification) and 41 countries. This database includes 8581 combinations of crops, sites, years and treatments. The information recorded describes climatic conditions, soil types, yields, plant nitrogen contents, soil N reserves and cultivation practices. When they were available, data collected on subsequent crops were also collated.