Legumes are plant-based foods while cereals are grain-based foods.
Legumes consist of peas, lentils, beans, lupins, mesquite, carob, alfalfa, tamarind, clover and chickpeas whileas cereals consist of maize, rice, barley, rye, oats, millet and wheat.
Legumes belong to the bean family of fabaceae while cereals belong to the grass family of poaceae.
Legumes contain high levels of carbohydrates compared to cereals with very low carbohydrates.
Legumes are higher in protein compared to cereals with low protein content.
Starch from legumes is less digestable compared to starch from cereals which is easily digested.
Legumes can take up to six months to mature compared to cereals which can take between three to four months to mature.
Cool-season legumes require less water to grow compared to cereals which require much water to grow.
Seeds of legumes should be planted between six inches and twelve inches apart compared to cereals where their seeds should be sowed in rows that is 15cm apart.
Legumes tend to grow well in low altitudes compared to cereals which can grow well in high altitudes.
Legumes are popularly grown in India compared to cereals which are popularly grown in China.
Legumes are more cheaper to buy compared to cereals which are expensive.
Legumes have a short harvest period compared to cereals which have a long harvest period.
Legumes are less prone to pest and diseases compared to cereals which are more prone to pests and diseases.
Legumes grown on soil consume less pesticides when they grow compared to cereals which tend to consume a lot of pesticides when grown on soil.
Legumes are less consumed food crops worldwide than cereals which have high consumption rate worldwide. That is to say, legumes are less cultivated food crops compared to cereals which are the most cultivated and traded crops for food, feed, and industrial uses worldwide.
Legumes can easily gain access to nitrogen through symbiotic association with rhizobia compared to cereals where growth and production rely heavily on the application of fertilizers.
Legumes can grow well at a temperature of 70°F to 80°F during the day and 60°F to 65°F during night whileas cereals can grow well at a temperature of 70°F to 95°F.
Legumes such as beans can take 6 to 10 days to germinate from the soil at a temperature of 16°C to 30°C whileas cereals such as maize can take 4 days to germinate from the soil at a temperature of 24°C.
Legumes are classified as cotyledons whileas cereals are classified as monocotyledons.
Legumes have two embryonic leaves whileas cereals have one embryonic leaf.
The production of legumes compared to cereals worldwide.
Legumes
Production
Year
Beans
27,715,023 tons
2021
Peas
20,529,759 tons
2021
Lentils
6,700,000 tonnes
2022
Lupins
1,644,691 tonnes
2022
Alfalfa
211,000,000 tons
2017
Cereals
Production
Year
Wheat
785,000,000 metric tons
2023/24
Millet
30,900,000 tonnes
2022
Rice
776,461,457 metric tonnes
2022
Barley
151,620,000 metric tons
2021/2022
Oats
25,130,000 metric tons
2022/2023
The statistics represent the difference in production between Pizza Hut and KFC.
The above are the differences (legumes vs cereals) which can help you to know more details of the crops.