The legumes (Leguminosae, Fabaceae) are large, important plant family which includes 490 genera and around 1200 known species. Grain legumes are cultivated for their seeds which are rich in protein and essential amino acids. The seeds are used for human and animal consumption. Their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen is very important in the nitrogen cycle. They can be used as soil-enhancing green manure. In Croatia, grain legumes are grown on family farms in small areas. Most widely grown are common bean, pea, soybean and broad bean, chick pea, lentil, grass pea, lupin, cowpea. One of the most crucial times in the life cycle of plants is germination. Germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed in natural or agricultural ecosystem. In natural conditions seeds are usually dormant. That means that seed is unable to germinate in a specified period of time under a combination of environmental factors that are normally suitable for the germination of non-dormant seed. For grain legumes are characteristic hard, impermeable seed coats, which prevents leakage of water and gasses, but with domestication seed coat became thinner and. And today this feature is typical for wild types of grain legumes. In cultivated legumes, seed coats are much thinner and such seeds are not dormant.