SPECIAL-PURPOSE LEGUME GENETIC-RESOURCES CONSERVED FOR AGRICULTURAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND PHARMACEUTICAL USE

To help feed, clothe, house, improve land productivity, confront diffi cult resource necessities, and stabilize ravaged land resources throug h reforestation, there is need for a revitalized worldwide assessment of little-known legume species. Many legumes produce economically impo rtant organic compounds such as gums, dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticide s, phytochemicals, and many specialty products. However, most legumes have never been or have just begun to be studied for phytochemical or biologically active components, and new reservoirs of commercially val uable materials remain to be discovered. Not only could these legumes provide healthier and a more secure food supply for Third World countr ies, but they can protect fragile soil resources where erosion now thr eatens tragedy.