EUROLEGUME · Enhancing of legumes growing in Europe through sustainable cropping for protein supply for food and feed

Long term S&T objective: The project is aimed to sustainable use of Leguminous plants and soil resources in order to ensure European citizens with balanced and safe food, ensuring the high quality protein sources in their daily diet by increasing competitiveness and cultivation of legumes for food and feed. Short-term S&T objectives: 1. Evaluation of pea, faba bean and cowpea/black-eye-bean local genetic resources for the development of new varieties for food and feed and further use in breeding; 2. Development of new food and feed products from available European varieties of pea, faba bean and cowpea; 3. Selection of appropriate rhizobium strains and arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi to support nitrogen fixation and development of new, commercial inoculants; 4.Evaluation of influence of leguminous plants on the soil properties in sustainable, regionally specific cropping systems. Activities: WP1 Management and coordination; WP2 Broadening of genetic diversity in breeding trough evaluation of local genetic resources; WP3 Selection of appropriate rhizobium strains to support nitrogen fixation and development of inoculants; WP4 Nutritional value and innovative food and feed; WP5 Legume supported cropping system in sustainable agriculture; WP6 Management and valorization of the residual biomass; WP7 Publicity and dissemination. 19 partners from 10 EU Member States.