Project: Legumes in biodiversity-based farming systems in Mediterranean basin
| Acronym | LEGU-MED (Reference Number: 2019-SECTION2-19) |
| Project Topic | LEGU-MED aim is to valorize, restore and manage legume biodiversity in future Mediterranean farming systems with enhanced environmental sustainability. This purpose will be obtained through: 1) an agronomic, phenotypic and molecular evaluation of wild relatives, land races, neglected genotypes, elite cultivars of lentil and chickpea obtained from different regions of the Mediterranean basin, 2) development of improved traditional farming systems using different strategies: i) diversification, ii) multi-crop rotations, iii) biological regulation of ecosystems, iv) enhanced plant-microbe symbiosis, v) natural resource conservation. We have assembled a multi-disciplinary consortium composed by 11 partners from 8 countries and consisting of 5 public universities, 5 research centers and 1 company. Our activities are designed to increase ecosystem services, maintain soil fertility, minimize the use of synthetic chemical compounds, and maintain a satisfactory and steady income for growers. LEGU-MED will use a participatory process where a subset of stakeholder’s community will be involved in the co-creation of innovative solutions. The proposal is structured in 4 work packages (WP). In WP1, we will recover, collect and characterize a wide germplasm collection of lentil and chickpea. An agronomic and genomic characterization of 125 genotypes (25 per 5 countries) for each crop will be performed in controlled conditions. The best 10 genotypes for each country will be evaluated in 5 different geographic areas of the Mediterranean basin (two years). In WP2, we will develop and test new legume-based farming systems to enhance ecosystem services and their environmental sustainability. In WP3, improved rhizobial genotype-specific strains and low-impact agro- technological measures will be developed. In WP4, a detailed plan of socio-economic analysis, management and dissemination of outputs will be performed. |
| Network | PRIMA |
| Call | Section 2 Call 2019 - Multi-topic |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Firenze | Coordinator | Italy |
| 2 | Consiglio Nazione delle Ricerche | Partner | Italy |
| 3 | Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna | Partner | Italy |
| 4 | Agrifutur | Partner | Italy |
| 5 | University of Oran | Partner | Algeria |
| 6 | Leibniz Universität Hannover | Partner | Germany |
| 7 | University of Zagreb | Partner | Croatia |
| 8 | Centro IFAPA | Partner | Spain |
| 9 | Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute | Partner | Lebanon |
| 10 | Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria | Partner | Tunisia |
| 11 | University of Sirnak | Partner | Türkiye |