ILS Webinars 2025-2026

ILS is going to host a set of monthly free webinars on topics related to legumes cultivation and improvement starting.

The webinars are hosted by Nelson Nazzicari using Microsoft Teams platform made available by CREA (Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics). The organization of the webinars is also made possible thanks to dr.
Rouvay Roodt-Wilding.

First webinar, 8 October, 2025, 2pm CEST (UTC+2)

Photoperiod sensitivity is crucial for soybean flowering, adaptation, and yield. In soybean, photoperiod sensitivity centers around the evening complex (EC) that regulates the transcriptional level of the core transcription factor E1, thereby regulating flowering. Our study identifies how E2/GIGANTEA (GI) and its homologs modulate photoperiod sensitivity through interactions with the EC to form a photoperiod regulatory loop, maintaining sensitivity to photoperiod. Disruption of this loop leads to losing sensitivity, affecting soybean’s adaptability and yield. Understanding this loop’s dynamics is vital for molecular breeding to reduce soybean’s photoperiod sensitivity and develop cultivars with better adaptability and higher yields, potentially leading to the creation of photoperiod-insensitive varieties for broader agricultural applications.

Second webinar, 12 November 2025, 2pm CET (UTC+1)

Pulse proteins are increasingly recognized as key components of sustainable and nutritious food systems. Derived from legumes such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, and beans, they provide high-quality plant-based protein along with fiber, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Their unique structural and functional properties enable wide applications in food innovation, from meat and dairy alternatives to fortified products. This presentation will explore the composition, structure, and nutritional quality of pulse proteins, as well as advances in their extraction and modification. Emphasis will be placed on their technological potential, health relevance, and contribution to sustainable food systems. Understanding these aspects is essential to harness the full value of pulse proteins and to drive innovation in future food development.

You can find the slides from the presentation at the following link:

Special session: young researchers, 10 December 2025, 2pm CET (UTC+1)

This special session will feature flash presentations by three junior scientists showcasing their research.

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Third webinar, 7 January, 2026, 11 am CET (UTC +1)

NOTE THAT THE TIME IS DIFFERENT FROM THE USUAL

High-throughput molecular markers emerged in lucerne genetics around 10 years ago. Several studies have been published showing promising results in the analysis of genetic resources, allele mining, association genetics and genomic prediction. However, implementation in breeding programmes is still lagging behind. This talk will suggest ways to incorporate molecular markers into commercial breeding programmes to accelerate genetic progress.

Fourth webinar, 4 February, 2026, 12:00 CET (UTC+1)

Note that the time is different from the usual!

Join this webinar to explore the remarkable rise of the Australian lentil industry and the integrated strategies that powered its success. The talk will highlight how advances in agronomy and pathology, global germplasm exchange, and the adoption of modern breeding tools i.e. molecular markers, genomic selection, phenomics, computational breeding collectively transformed lentil productivity, resilience, and global competitiveness.

Fifth webinar, 11 March 2026, 2pm CET (UTC+1)

The project “Putting Nitrogen Fixation to Work for Smallholder Farmers in Africa” (N2Africa – www.n2africa.org) focused on increasing the production of grain legumes and the inputs from N₂-fixation. The project, led by Wageningen University and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), worked for over a decade from 2009-2019 with many partners in eleven countries; the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. N2Africa was designed around a central hypothesis that N2-fixation by legumes, grain and biomass yield depend on:

(G_L × G_R) × E × M

where G_L = the legume genotype, G_R = the genotype(s) of rhizobia nodulating the legume, E = the environment, M = management. Essentially, the genetic potential of the symbiosis depends on the interaction of the legume and rhizobial genotypes (G_L × G_R). These need to be selected to be well adapted to the local environment (E), which includes the climate (temperatures, rainfall, day length, etc., to encompass the length of the growing season) and soils (acidity, aluminium toxicity, limiting nutrients, etc.). Agronomic management (M), including sowing dates, plant density, weeding, rhizobial inoculation and use of mineral fertilizers, control of pests and diseases, determines to what extent the genetic potential of the symbiosis can be achieved. The project used a ‘development-to-research’ approach centred on large numbers of simple farmer ‘try-outs’ that had a dual purpose: testing technologies and demonstrating them for farmer learning and discussions. Key findings underscored the importance of high-quality inoculants to ensure consistent legume yield responses, and that other limiting factors, particularly the lack of plant-available phosphorus in African soils, must be addressed to ensure an effective legume-rhizobium symbiosis. N2Africa reached more than 660,000 farmers, thanks to many national partners, NGOs, and African entrepreneurs. In this talk, I will focus on the enduring legacy of the N2Africa project and priorities for the future, highlighting opportunities to enable smallholders to access inputs.

Sixth webinar, 8 April 2026, 2pm CEST (UTC+2)

Legumes, integrated within the broader category of protein crops, have an important role within the EU’s agriculture and interlinked R&I ecosystem. The Vision for Agriculture and Food published by the European Commission in 2024 stressed the need to diversify supply chains and promote transformative resilience, namely by creating a more self-sufficient and sustainable EU protein system, including pulses and oilseeds. Likewise, Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for R&I, has for several years developed a portfolio focused on protein crops for both food and feed, addressing breeding, intercropping, ecosystem services, value-chains, among others. In this timely context, it is important to remain informed on the current EU policy context, and ongoing research and opportunities for legumes.

Seventh webinar, 6 May 2026, 2pm CEST (UTC+2)

Through this research, we aim to reorientate the current genetic breeding framework, shifting from improving a single crop to a concept where two crops benefit from their rotational synergy. To achieve this, we employed a specific combining ability strategy to evaluate 1,000 unique pairs of lentils and wheat in diverse environments, using a crop rotation system. The objective was to study the genetic contribution of 100 lentil genotypes to the yield and nitrogen use efficiency of subsequent 100 wheat lines. Preliminary results from the first rotation cycle show that certain lentil genotypes consistently improve the yield of the subsequent wheat crop. Specifically, we observed a “legacy effect” due to the lentil’s ability to allocate more nitrogen in plant residues and promote greater alpha bacterial diversity in the soil. In this presentation, we will highlight that superior lentil-wheat combinations provide significant benefits to wheat, even when the lentils perform poorly. This suggests that these traits are selectable for the development of more sustainable and highly synergistic legumes and cereals varieties.