Guar

Not to be confused with Gaur or Gwar.

Guar
Guar bean cluster
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Cyamopsis
Species:
C. tetragonoloba
Binomial name
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
Synonyms
  • Cyamopsis psoralioides auct., orth. var.
  • Cyamopsis psoraloides DC.
  • Cyamopsis psoraloides (Lam.) DC.

The guar (from Hindi: ग्वार : gvār) or cluster bean, with the botanical name Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It is also known as gavar, gawar, or guvar bean. The genus name Cyamopsis means bean-like (from Greek: κύαμος : kýamos "bean" + Greek: ὄψις : ópsis "view'). The specific name is from Latin: tetragōnoloba meaning four-lobed.

The origin of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba is unknown, since it has never been found in the wild.[1] It is assumed to have developed from the African species Cyamopsis senegalensis. It was further domesticated in South Asia, where it has been cultivated for centuries.[2] Guar grows well in semiarid areas, but frequent rainfall is necessary.

This legume is a valuable plant in a crop rotation cycle, as it lives in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.[3] Agriculturists in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan follow crop-rotation and use guar to replenish the soil with essential fertilizers and nitrogen fixation, before the next crop. Guar has many functions for human and animal nutrition, but the gelling agent in its seeds (guar gum) is the most important use.[2] Demand is rising due to the use of guar gum in hydraulic fracturing (oil shale gas).[2] It is also a major ingredient of the toy Slime. About 80% of world production occurs in India, but due to strong demand, the plant is being introduced elsewhere.

  1. ^ Whistler R. L. and Hymowitz T. 1979. Guar: agronomy, production, industrial use and nutrition. Purdue University Press, West Lafayette
  2. ^ a b c Mudgil, D.; Barak, S.; Khatkar, B. S. (2011). "Guar gum: Processing, properties and food applications—A Review". Journal of Food Science and Technology. 51 (3): 409–18. doi:10.1007/s13197-011-0522-x. PMC 3931889. PMID 24587515.
  3. ^ Undersander D. J., Putnam D. H., Kaminski A. R., Doll J. D., Oblinger E. S. and Gunsolus J. L. 1991. Guar. University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota [1] Accessed November 8, 2012.