Legumes: Model plants for sustainable agriculture in phosphorus and iron deficient soils

Nowadays, the agriculture's target is to reach the amount of crop production that can cover the need to feed growing world population with the crucial challenge of respecting the environment. Several environmental constraints are limiting world agricultural production, mainly the preponderance of calcareous soils suffering from ferric and phosphoric deficiencies. In those soils, legumes were considered as an alternative solution to retrieve a fertile soil without the abusive use of chemical fertilizers. The ability to establish a symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria is the way used by legumes to restore soil organic matter and to improve soil fertility. Legumes remain a source of healthy food while respecting the environment. This paper describes the importance of legumes for Fe and P deficient soils management through sustainable practices.