The Leguminosae (pea or bean family) are composed of some 690 genera and 18,000 species (Purseglove, 1968). It is the second largest family of seed plants (following the Gramineae) (Aykroyd and Doughty, 1964). Within the Leguminosae, there are 18-20 species that are cultivated widely for their edible seeds which are high in protein (17-25+%) (Aykroyd and Doughty, 1964). The seeds of legumes are second only to cereals as the most important source of food for humans and animals (National Academy of Sciences, 1979). The term food legume generally is given to species of Leguminosae, the seeds, pods, and/or leaves of which are eaten by humans. The word pulse is used in some countries colonized by Great Britain, like India and Pakistan, to denote the dry, mature seeds which are consumed by humans. A chronic protein deficiency exists in most developing countries of the world (Mayer, 1976). In these countries food legumes usually provide the main, and at times the only, source of protein and essential amino acids in the diets of poorer inhabitants for social, economic, or religious reasons. Legumes are an important complement to diets heavily dependent on high carbohydrate foods (cereals and root and tuber crops) (National Academy of Sciences, 1979). In the United States and its territories, several food legumes are grown on a commercial scale. After soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) (which are also classified as oil crops), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important food legume cultivated in the United States (USDA, 1979a). The seeds of some food legumes, like bean, pea (Pisum sativum L.), soybean, and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) are exported in large quantities and aid in correcting the nation's sizeable balance of trade deficits (USDA, 1979a). In most developed countries of the world, with the exception of Japan, food legumes are consumed in small amounts, and, therefore, contribute minimally to satisfying daily protein requirements. Protein from animal sources satisfies most of that need, but this is a very inefficient method of producing protein (Mayer, 1976). With the recent dramatic rise in the cost of energy and nitrogenous fertilizers, a search will be made to find cheaper, energy-saving methods of increasing food production. Food legumes will undoubtedly assume a more important role in providing a larger share of the protein requirements of the inhabitants of many developed countries, including the United States, particularly as the price of