GRDC is investing more than $17.9 million in five new pulse projects over the next  six years. These investments aim to enhance the genetic diversity of chickpea, lentil, faba bean, lupin, mungbean and field pea varieties for Australian growers.

These efforts are part of a broader initiative to improve yield, nitrogen fixation, disease resistance and environmental stress tolerance in pulse crops, ensuring they remain a vital component of Australian farming systems.

Coordinating these investments is GRDC genetic technologies manager (pulses) Dr Camilla Hill. She says expanding the crops’ genetic diversity recognises the vital role legumes have in Australian farming systems.

While pulses offer agronomic benefits, they also aid in income diversification, she says.

Pulses offer growers a way to diversify their income streams, so they are less reliant on cereals. And there are strong export markets for Australian pulses.

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre estimates 3.3 million tonnes of pulses are grown in Australia each year. About 80 per cent of this is exported.

The new pulse pre-breeding investments will focus on five developments.

1. Improving genetic gain for yield in chickpeas, faba beans and lentils. This project aims to increase genetic gain by incorporating untapped genetic diversity from landraces and related species.
2. Enhancing nitrogen fixation. Targeting chickpeas, lentils, field peas, faba beans, lupins and mungbeans, this project has the potential to significantly reduce fertiliser expenses, improve sustainability and reduce grower costs.
3. Enhancing rhizobia resources. This project will streamline processes, ensure comprehensive passport data is maintained, characterise and authenticate rhizobia strains (including maintenance and periodic reproduction), implement world-standard quality assurance, establish an international rhizobium genebank network, and improve accessibility to a comprehensive public online database.
4. Improved screening for heat tolerance in chickpeas. Developing better screening methods will help fast-track traits to develop chickpea varieties with improved high-temperature tolerance and maintain yield against the climate change challenges.
5. Improving Botrytis grey mould resistance in chickpeas and lentils.

More information: GroundCover™ story – Genetics boost for pulses