Legume Generation Report 7

Legume Generation seeks to change how research supports legume plant breeding and to overcome disconnections. It systematically combines the entrepreneurial and commercial ambition of breeders with the inventiveness of the supporting research base within breeder (innovator) facing structures. Six species-specific innovation communities link our research-base with our 78 breeding and pre-breeding programmes focused on soybean, pea, lupins, lentil, common bean, and clovers. A key feature is our explicit organisation according to how our target species are bred (i.e., how plant breeding works) rather than according to how research is organised in science disciplines. We hope that this new articulation between breeding and research will provide long-lasting structures, drivers, and partnerships for investing in the genetic improvement of legumes.

The project is led by innovation communities, each focused on the breeding of a single species or species type. Each is supported by a knowledge centre for breeding, shared tools and approaches for genetic improvement, shared phenotyping: screening, demonstration and testing of cultivars; training, and investigations into governance and finance models.

Each of our species-facing innovation communities are supported by insights into resource capture, ideotype concepts, and beneficial traits; a catalogue of legume species, cultivars, and breeding methods; the production and validation of novel resources; demonstration and testing of germplasm; training; and by the European Legume Hub. The project will support innovation up to the point where newly-bred germplasm and cultivars are proven on farm.