PULSAR, a France 2030 project for the re-emergence of the white lupin in our fields and our diet
ANR-23-PLEG-0003
Legumes have the capacity to produce protein-rich seeds for food and feed, and thus play an important role in promoting resource-efficient agriculture, and sustainable and healthy diets. However, protein-rich grain legumes, such as pea, faba bean and lupin, which can fix the nitrogen from atmosphere, account for only 2 to 3% of cultivated land in Europe. In France in particular, investments in research and development for these species have been modest in the past years, and have been mainly dedicated to pea, with very little interest in lupin. Thus, lupin is considered as an “orphan” species, remaining still very poorly known. In France, only ten varieties of white lupin are available to farmers. Yet, lupins have considerable potential for protein production and human health, as they produce high level protein seeds (similar to soybeans), with essential amino acids, microelements, and omega 3-rich oil. The low interest of farmers for lupin is mainly explained by yield variability, damages due to drought and water excess, and a low competitiveness against weeds. In addition, this species which is little known to consumers can cause food allergy. The PULSAR project brings together a consortium of INRAE research units, the Ecole Supérieure des Agricultures (ESA), and two private companies (Kedelaï and Cérience), with the aim to pave the way for increased lupin cultivation and use for human consumption. PULSAR aims to improve knowledge in lupin biology, agronomy and food science, and to provide applicable solutions to broaden the range of lupin varieties available for efficient and resilient cropping systems. It also aims to investigate the potential of fermentation to improve lupin digestion and mitigate its allergenic nature. For this purpose, the PULSAR consortium will characterise the French national collection of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) genetic resources and identify lines relevant to the context of global warming and resource saving. From an agronomic point of view, PULSAR proposes to intercrop the lupin with a service plant, a practice allowing weed limitation and enhancing the system resilience to hazards. By using intercrops, the project is perfectly aligned with agroecological principles, i.e. low chemical inputs and sustainable agriculture based on biological processes. PULSAR will also analyse the physiological functioning of lupin in order to better understand the links with the seed protein quality. Given the growing demand for fermented plant-based products in relation to their health benefits, the Food science teams will study the effect of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria or filamentous microscopic fungi on allergenicity and digestion of lupin proteins and seeds. The acceptability of the products resulting from these fermentation processes to the consumers will be assessed by performing sensory analysis. PULSAR is the first project of this scale dedicated to lupin and can be therefore a major lever for developing lupin cultivation and industry in France. 4 partners including 7 research units (LEVA, IRHS, ISPSIM, Agroécologie, STLO, BIA, GRAPPE) and 2 companies (Cérience https://www.cerience.fr/fr and Kédelaï https://www.kedelai.fr/). PULSAR is labeled by Végépolys Valley et Valorial.
