ICARDA breeding efforts are underway to reduce the neurotoxin content in grass pea, as well as to improve its seed yield and biomass, to provide a remunerative crop for safe consumption by humans and animals.
Grass pea is a multi-purpose, hardy, and climate-smart legume crop which can sustain drought, waterlogging and salinity, and can be grown under minimal external inputs. It is a multipurpose crop for grain, feed, vegetables, and straw that improves soil fertility through atmospheric nitrogen fixation. As such, ICARDA is researching its potential for cultivation in areas where other field crops cannot be grown due to low-quality soil and water scarcity, providing an excellent opportunity for sustainable agriculture and nutritional security to resource-poor farmers and consumers.
ICARDA is also promoting grass pea's specific production niche, grown as a relay crop in rice fields in South Asia, where no-tillage operations are required, reducing its cost of production. ICARDA is also highlighting its resistance to drought, as it is also grown across dry regions in Africa and the Middle East, where its split seeds, flour, and tender twigs are used for human consumption and fodder, and the plant residues for nutritious animal feed.
New grass pea lines aligned to product lines can be also found in the ICARDA's International Nurseries.