Germany: IPK researchers are opening up the great potential of broad beans as a global protein crop

09.03.2023 | 11:48:00 | ID: 35707 | Department: Agriculture | science and research Gatersleben (agrar-PR) - A higher proportion of locally produced plant-based protein in the current meat-rich diet could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. However, the production of vegetable protein is made more difficult by the fact that there is no legume for cooler climates that has the same agronomic value as the soybean. The field bean (Vicia faba L.) has high yield potential and is well suited to cultivation in temperate regions , but so far genomic resources have been lacking. An international research team, which also includes scientists from the IPK Leibniz Institute, has assembled the broad bean genome in high quality on a chromosome basis. The findings were published today in the journal Nature.The broad bean is one of the earliest domesticated crops. It was part of the Neolithic crop package that the first farmers took with them when they left the ...