Abstract

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is among the oldest crops in the world. Globally, it is third most important feed grain legume. Currently, 58 countries produce this bean on large scale. Probably faba beans are one of the best performing crops under global warming and climate change scenario because of its unique ability to excel under all most all type of climatic conditions coupled with its wide adoptability to range of soil environment. Faba bean being incredible and crop complete food, unfortunately some part of world including India, it is still underutilized crop and not fully exploited so far, though it is seen as an agronomically viable alternative crop to cereal, with a potential of fixing free nitrogen upto 300 kg N ha-¹. It is a good source of lysine rich protein and good source of levadopa (L-dopa), a precursor of dopamine, can be potentially used as medicine for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. There is need to improve its anti-nutritional factors to make it more acceptable to other countries. Now Zero tannin contacting varieties are available with greater acceptability to Indians and other countryman as well. An assessment has been made for boosting area production and acceptability with technological backup keeping in view the enormous potential for food and nutritional security.

Key words: Faba bean, bottleneck, potential crop, uses, agro-technology.