– ABOUT

the legume grain ‘omics initiative

Grain legumes are important food and feed

Global food systems will need to nearly double their production to feed the expected global population by 2050. The demand for meat alone is projected to rise by 73% in response to a growing population and increased protein demand across both developed and developing countries. To meet this goal and mitigate the environmental sustainability challenges posed by meat production, the production and consumption of healthy and sustainable alternative proteins, such as those derived from pulse crops, need to be substantially increased.

Advancing the current market trade of pulses as commodities to value-added products (e.g., protein concentrate, protein isolates, starch and fibre) presents a leadership and economic opportunity for Australia. However, effort is required to establish the core knowledge that underpins the long-term sustainability and profitability of pulses grown in Australia.

Key knowledge gaps to developing an Australian plant protein pipeline include:

    • Characterising the relationship between yield and grain quality for target pulse crops.
    • Assessment of regional, paddock variability (within and between paddocks) on protein content and seed composition.
    • Profiling the impact of common environmental stresses such as frost, heat, terminal drought, and soil composition on grain quality and off-flavour traits.
Read more about the role of legumes in feed and agricultrue

OBJECTIVES

The Legume Grain ‘Omics Initiative aims to use ‘omics technologies, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics to:

 

    • Create a national ‘omics resource for selected pulse varieties, capturing genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and phenomic data.
    • Accelerate fundamental research by using this resource to understand how key traits, such as yield, nutrition, and stress resilience, develop over time and under different environmental conditions.
    • Support crop improvement by generating insight to guide the optimisation of pulse crops for agriculture and market performance.
    • Develop accessible ‘Atlases’ that organise and present the multilayered data sets, providing a model for other industries to identify value-adding opportunities.
    • Build a strong national network of stakeholders, including researchers, growers, government, industry, consumers, and health professionals, to support a sustainable and high-quality Australian plant protein sector.

DATA ATLASES

As a proof-of-concept, the Legume Grain ‘Omics Initiative has developed the Faba Bean ‘Omics Atlas, with plans to expand this model to other major legume species.
Faba Bean ‘Omics Atlas

This Atlas contains datasets generated from commercial faba bean varieties, including phenotypic imaging, biochemical profiling, metabolomics, and proteomics, providing a detils view of nutritional and molecular composition.

ATLAS ACCESS COMING SOON

COLLABORATORS

ROLE OF GRAIN LEGUMES IN AGRICULTURE

Grain legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils, lupins, faba beans, and field peas, are essential components of sustainable agricultural systems in Australia.

These crops are valued not only for their economic returns but also for their agronomic benefits:

    • As nitrogen-fixing plants, legumes enrich soil fertility by converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by subsequent crops, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.
    • Their inclusion in crop rotations helps break pest and disease cycles, improves soil structure, and enhances overall farm resilience.
    • Legumes contribute to climate-smart agriculture by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and supporting biodiversity.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

Grain legumes are a cornerstone of plant-based diets and an increasingly important ingredient in health-conscious food products, including flours, snacks, meat substitutes, and dairy alternatives. Grain legumes are highly regarded for their nutritional value.

 

For humans:

  • High protein content.
  • Low glycemic index.
  • Rich supply of dietary fibre, vitamins (especially folate), and minerals (such as iron and zinc).

In animal feed:

  • Lupins and field peas are used as protein-rich supplements, especially in monogastric diets (e.g., pigs and poultry).
  • Reduced reliance on imported products.

ECONOMIC VALUE OF GRAIN LEGUMES IN AUSTRALIA

In 2025, Australia’s grain legume sector is projected to produce approximately 4.6 million tonnes across the five major crops.

Collectively, the grain legume industry is valued at approximately AUD 3.4 to 4 billion, playing a crucial role in economic sustainability, ecological health, and the growing demand for plant-based protein in both food and feed markets.

KEY INFORMATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INFORMATION

Bioplatforms Initiative DOI: https://doi.org/10.25953/swg1-1h08

Umbrella Bioproject ID: PRJNA1098056

Please use this ID when submitting any derived data to a database that is a member of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC), such as GenBank/NCBI, ENA or DDBJ.

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Citation Guidelines

To cite the general initiative:
Legume Grain Omics Initiative, 2022, https://doi.org/10.25953/swg1-1h08

To cite a specific dataset:
Legume Grain Omics Initiative, 2022, https://doi.org/10.25953/swg1-1h08, [year-of-data-download], [full dataset title], [dataset-access-URL], accessed [date-of-access].

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Acknowledgement Statement

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Legume Grain Omics Initiative Consortium in the generation of data used in this publication. The Initiative is supported by funding from Bioplatforms Australia, enabled by the Commonwealth Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

If relevant, also credit other organisations involved in the collection of the particular dataset you are using, as listed in the ‘project_lead’ and ‘project_collaborators’ in the metadata record.

CONTACT US

Program Manager

Mabel Lum – Bioplatforms Australia
mlum@bioplatforms.com

Science Lead

Tony Bacic – La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food (LIAF)
t.bacic@latrobe.edu.au

General Manager – Science Programs

Sarah Richmond – Bioplatforms Australia
srichmond@bioplatforms.com

 

DATA AND COLLABORATION POLICY

Data generated through this initiative is subject to the Data and Collaboration policy. Please review it here.