History of Pulses
“Pulse” is a derivation from the Latin
words puls or pultis meaning “thick soup”.
Pulse crops are small but important members
of the legume family, which contains over
1,800 different species. Pulse crops are
the seeds of legumes that are used as food,
and include peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas and
faba beans. Evidence of cultivation of lentils
has been found in the Egyptian pyramids
and dry pea seeds have been discovered
in a village in Switzerland dating back to
the Stone Age. Archaeological evidence
suggests that peas were grown in the eastern
Mediterranean and Mesopotamia regions at
least 5,000 years ago and in Britain as early as
the 11 th century.
Pulses are an important source of protein,
especially in developing countries. Pulses
provide about 10% of the total dietary protein
consumed in the world and have about
twice the protein content of most cereal
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
grains. Pea crops were a leading production
crop in eastern Canada at the turn of the
century, with an average of 720,000 acres
(288,000 hectares) grown each year from
1883 to 1902. Production in eastern Canada
gradually declined; by 1970, only 82,000
acres were grown in all of Canada with about
70% of that production in Manitoba. Pulses
did not play a significant commercial or
economic role in Western Canada until the
1970s, when the wheat glut encouraged
farmers to diversify into cash crops such as
rapeseed (canola), lentils, peas and other
specialty crops. In addition, the registration of
herbicides provided a method of weed control
in previously uncompetitive pulse crops
and the development of new, well-adapted
varieties at the Crop Development Centre
of the University of Saskatchewan, both of
which have contributed to the commercial
acceptance of pulse crops.
22