NUE-Leg at UKLRC 2026 

Project NUE-Leg was one of the sponsors of this year’s annual symposium of the UK Legume Research Community (UKLRC) hosted at the Crop Innovation Centre of the James Hutton Institute (Invergowrie, Scotland) from the 5^th to 7^th of May.  

Figure 1: From left to right Ashley (Ash) Murdoch (JHI), Pietro (Pete) Iannetta (JHI), Chrizelle Krynauw (JHI), Dr David Lloyd (Germinal Horizon) and Ellen Sizer-Coverdale (Germinal Horizon) 

Representatives of two NUE-Leg partners (Fig. 1), The James Hutton Institute and Germinal Horizon, attended the conference with Chrizelle Krynauw (JHI) presenting some of the preliminary findings from work package 3 of the project as an oral presentation entitled “NUE-Leg: the search for elite rhizobial strains for novel forage legumes”. While Dr David Lloyd (Germinal Horizon) and Pete Iannetta (JHI) took part in a panel discussion in a session focusing on “The role of legumes in the ‘Alternative Protein’ transition”; Pete’s presentation focused on “Legumes, hidden in plain sight: why ‘land plus people’ thinking must shape UK food system resilience” and David’s was entitled “Forage legumes as an alternative protein: a potential solution to the UK protein deficit”.  

A total of 70 registrants attended the symposium which included researchers from various research bodies such as ADAS (Agricultural Development Advisory Service), The John Innes Centre and various universities such as the University of Oxford and University of Cranfield. While there was also representation from other sectors such as industry Legume Technology and the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO). Sessions included “Technology in Agriculture”, “Feed, Food and Cropping Systems”, “Legume Genetics and Genomics”, “Genomic Tools to Accelerate Legume Breeding”, “The Role of Legumes in the ‘Alternative Protein’ Transition”,” Beneficial Organisms and Symbiosis” and finally “Biotic and Abiotic Stress”. 

The (for once accommodating) Scottish weather also allowed for an engaging visit to the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC) (Fig. 2) a long-term research platform established in 2009 that is used to evaluate how pollution, crop productivity, soil health and biodiversity is influenced by a switch to sustainable management practices. 

Figure 2: The UKLRC registrants listening as Cathy Hawes (JHI) introduces the CSC platform. 

Overall, the community presented on an array of legume-associated topics (click here for the conference abstract booklet), however it predominantly still focused on arable systems as opposed to grassland farming, and in particular on the legumes faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.).