Sustainable pulse crops receive £3m funding boost
The Pulse Crop Genetic Improvement Network (PCGIN), which started in 2008, has received the funding for the next five years from the Department for Environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) to develop climate resilient legumes.
The PCGIN is managed by the John Innes Centre, in collaboration with NIAB, University of Reading, Aberystwyth University, AHDB, PGRO and Defra and with input provided by the commercial sector.
The money will support the consortium’s researchers and stakeholder network to improve breeding material for the cultivation of peas, beans and other pulses in the UK.
The research into the pulse crops, which are a source of protein, will tackle threats from pests and diseases, such as root rot in pea and bruchid beetle in faba bean. The research will also target nutritional traits such as protein content, minerals and flavour.
Dr Catherine Howarth from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University said: “This project is a fantastic opportunity to develop tools and genetic resources to enhance resilience to climate change in legumes such as peas and beans using the precision phenotyping platforms available at IBERS. These nitrogen fixing crops provide novel cropping options to enhance environmental sustainability and agrobiodiversity in the UK.”
Professor Janneke Balk, group leader at the John Innes Centre and co-lead of the PCGIN said: “Over the last 17 years the PCGIN has made critical contributions to pea and faba bean development that are now close to being brought to market. In the new funding phase, we will expand our research to lentil and common bean, which could be grown more widely in the future as we see higher temperatures in the UK.”
The consortium will also look at future climate impacts on UK pulse crops using models from the Met Office.
Dr Sanu Arora, group leader at the John Innes Centre and co-lead of PCGIN, said: “The next five years are key for developing new pulse crops for the UK. We need to work closely with farmers and growers to ensure that our research is targeting the traits that they need in their fields.”
