From 12 to 14 March 2025, we had an inspiring consortium meeting with all partners of the LEGENDARY project. Our Serbian partner IFVCNS gave us a warm welcome and their excellent organization contributed to a highly successful gathering.
During the meeting, we discussed the progress and challenges of the field trials with annual and perennial legumes. We aligned on a coordinated approach for field measurements across different countries—covering aspects such as soil microbial communities, greenhouse gases, nitrogen fixation, diseases and pests, pollinators and beneficial insects, yields, alkaloids, and effects on subsequent crops.
In the photo, prof. R. Gislum from AU explains how drone technology can be used to measure nitrogen uptake in follow-up crops after legumes and how other sensors can help map different processes.
We also discussed how field trial results—combined with LCA analysis and economic valuation—will serve as the foundation for developing indicators to assess strengths and improvement opportunities in the leguminous crop sector. A key step will be translating these findings into practical and accessible information for farmers—an approach we also evaluated during the meeting.
During the field visit, we had the opportunity to meet a local farmer who has been cultivating legumes for many years. (In the photo: a field of alfalfa.)
This meeting once again highlighted the importance of bringing partners together in person. It strengthens collaboration and sparks many great ideas!