On 5 June, gzpk, Agroscope and FiBL (as part of DIVINFOOD) organised a joint day on organic grain legume fields, with field visits to the Rinderbrunnen farm in Grüt and the gzpk site in Feldbach. This event was not just an opportunity to showcase various legume projects but also to foster connections between them, particularly with our sister project CROPDIVA.

The day began with a series of field visits at Hof Rinderbrunnen in Grüt and the gzpk location in Feldbach. Participants, numbering around 50, had the chance to observe and learn about different crop trials and results from EU projects CROPDIVA and LEGENDARY. Stephan Gysi from Agroscope provided insights into experimental works on mixed cropping, including lentil with oats or barley, lupin with oats, and grasspea.

Following a communal lunch and a trip to Feldbach, Eva Gelinsky presented her research on the historical background of legume cultivation in Switzerland, offering valuable context and depth to the day’s events. The participants then explored the breeding gardens at the Feldbach site, where they were introduced to the latest developments in breeding programs by FiBL and gzpk. This included viewing lupin populations and individual plants from the pea breeding program, as well as current projects like DIVINFOOD.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the tasting session, where attendees enjoyed a variety of delicious foods made from pea, grasspea, chickpea, and lupins. This tasting not only demonstrated the culinary potential of these legumes but also underscored their nutritional and sustainable benefits.