Question

The leguminous plants are important in agriculture, because

• A. They are disease resistant.
• B. They require very little irrigation.
• C. They help in nitrogen economy of nature.
• D. Crops of legumes can be produced in a year.

Answer 1

The correct option is C They help in nitrogen economy of nature.

Leguminous species are very important as part of a cereal crop rotation in view of their capacity to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through symbiotic associations with rootdwelling bacteria. Free-living bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen, adding it to the soil nitrogen pool. This is called as biological nitrogen fixation and it is a natural process highly beneficial in agriculture. Other nitrogen fixing bacteria form associations (in the form of nodules) with the roots of leguminous plants.

Thus, the correct answer is option C.