Boosting technologies of orphan legumes towards resilient farming systems in the Greater Mediterranean Region: from bench to open field (BENEFIT-Med)
Résumé
Climate change is expected to intensify abiotic stress conditions in the Mediterranean region, including drought, soil salinisation, temperature extremes, and irregular precipitation. These constraints severely affect crop productivity and pose a threat to the sustainability of local agroecosystems. A multidisciplinary approach has been adopted to enhance the resilience and agronomic performance of three underutilised legume species: Lathyrus sativus (grass pea), Pisum sativum var. arvense (forage pea), and Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek), through the application of advanced seed priming techniques combined with microbial biostimulants. For each species, two Mediterranean minor accessions with known abiotic stress tolerance were selected. Seeds were subjected to four distinct treatments: untreated control, hydropriming, biopriming using Bacillus subtilis spores, and hybrid priming, which combined both hydro- and biopriming. The bacterial strain used for biopriming produces high levels of poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA), a natural anionic biopolymer with superabsorbent properties that enhances seed hydration and promotes early seedling vigour under stress conditions. Experiments were conducted under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions across multiple Mediterranean countries to assess treatment effects on physiological, biochemical, and phenotypic parameters. Seed priming approaches showed strong potential to improve plant resilience and yield under stress conditions. In grass pea, anthocyanin concentration in leaves increased significantly between days 47 and 89 after sowing under hybrid priming. The nitrogen balance index (NBI) peaked in hydroprimed samples, with significant differences observed between early and later growth stages. Flowering occurred earlier and seed production improved significantly under hybrid priming, while total biomass remained unaffected by treatment. All phenotypic and metabolic data were collected using standardised protocols in accordance with MIAPPE (Minimum Information About Plant Phenotyping Experiments) guidelines. The processed datasets were made publicly available via an open-access repository, in line with FAIR principles (data.gouv platform: https://entrepot.recherche.data.gouv.fr/). An interactive digital platform was also developed to allow dynamic visualisation and exploration of the results. This work contributes to the development of sustainable cropping systems by demonstrating the effectiveness of microbial seed biostimulation in enhancing stress resilience and yield stability in climate-sensitive Mediterranean environments. By focusing on orphan legumes and improving seed quality, a critical yet underexploited lever, this approach offers scalable solutions to support agroecological transition and food security in the context of climate change.
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