Researchers representing 12 other EU countries will be in Edinburgh to join scientists in Scotland in a consortium seeking better ways to use legume crops.

The three-year, €4 million (£3.6m) programme will be co-ordinated by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), looking at nitrogen-fixing crops such as clover, peas and beans.

Researchers from the SAC and the Scottish Crop Research Institute will represent the UK commitment to the project funded under the EU framework.

The purpose of next week’s series of business meetings is to agree and confirm working arrangements for the programme. It is being held in the Surgeons Hall Complex of Edinburgh University.

In a statement, the SAC said: “Farming in Europe is not making the most of what legumes can offer. As they are very different from crops like cereals they can be used in rotations to interrupt the build-up of disease. Legumes can also replace animal feed or fibre crops imported from elsewhere in the world.

“They may even have a function as energy crops and their nitrogen-fixing capability gives them an additional role in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide. The aim of the research is to identify the best way to use legumes in each of Europe’s climatic zones, identify the most suitable crop and design a cropping system that reduces farming’s environmental impact.”

The three year SAC-led programme will bring together data from a network of 18 case studies in 12 countries across Europe.

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