legumES

The legumES project focuses on the sustainable cultivation and diversification of legumes in EU countries. Additionally, by using legumes as a fishmeal substitute in feeds in aquaculture, further market potential for protein-rich plants can be made accessible.

Legumes, such as peas, beans and lentils, are plants rich in nutrients and proteins. The focus of the project is to enhance the cultivation of these plant communities and thus, contribute to food security. In addition, the focus is on reducing the carbon footprint of legume cultivation systems and the use of fertilisers in agriculture, as well as preserving biodiversity and soil structures.

In collaboration with partners from the EU and the UK, legumES is developing strategic and comprehensive solutions to utilise the benefits of complex legume cultivation systems and classify their ecosystem services. An important ecosystem service, for example, is the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by leguminous plants, which is bound in soil structures, promoting soil vitality. Useful methods and tools will be provided by the project to deliver necessary information on legume cropping systems.

In this LegumES, AWI is leading work package two and seven. In the framework of work package two, AWI is conducting a pilot study on the use of forage legumes as a substitute for fishmeal in aquaculture feeds. In work package seven, the focus lies on the "technology transfer" of project results.

The project results, the methods and tools developed are to be applied in collaboration with the partners.