# Boosting technologies of orphan legumes towards resilient farming systems in the Greater Mediterranean Region: from bench to open field (BENEFIT-Med)

Fifonsi Fafa Amegnihe, Boris Collet, Andrea Pagano, Alma Balestrazzi, Loïc Rajjou

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## To cite this version:

Fifonsi Fafa Amegnihe, Boris Collet, Andrea Pagano, Alma Balestrazzi, Loïc Rajjou. Boosting technologies of orphan legumes towards resilient farming systems in the Greater Mediterranean Region: from bench to open field (BENEFIT-Med). Graines2025: Les graines et les transitions agroécologique, climatique et alimentaire, Nov 2025, Nantes, France. hal-05371302

HAL Id: hal-05371302

https://hal.science/hal-05371302v1

Submitted on 18 Nov 2025

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# Boosting technologies of orphan legumes towards resilient farming systems in the Greater Mediterranean Region: from bench to open field (BENEFIT-Med)

Amegnihe F. <fnref n="1" />, Collet B. <fnref n="1" />, Pagano A. <fnref n="2" />, Balestrazzi A. <fnref n="2" />, Rajjou L. <fnref n="1" />

**Context:** Climate change and unsustainable practices are increasing food insecurity and reducing crop yields across the Greater Mediterranean Region, demanding innovative and resilient agricultural solutions.

The overarching objective of BENEFIT-Med is to develop a **sustainable farming system** that enhances **food security** in the **Greater Mediterranean Region**. This will be achieved by:

* Selecting resilient accessions of underutilised **orphan legumes**.

* Developing a low-cost, on-farm **seed biopriming technology** using bacterial inoculants.

* Significantly improving **seed vigour** and **seedling performance** under abiotic stresses like drought and heat.

* Validating the technology through participatory **field trials** with local farmers.

The project used spores of **Bacillus subtilis** as a bacterial inoculant.

The strain used in this project is capable of producing γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) without external L-glutamic acid supplementation

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BENEFIT-MED is a PRIMA-funded programme invloving 8 Mediterranean countries to foster resilient agriculture through innovation in orphan legumes.

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Pathways for the synthesis of γ-PGA in L-glutamic acid independent *Bacillus* species via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle Kongklom et al. (2015, 2017)

## 1 Materials and samples preparation

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## 2 Biopriming Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Lathyrus sativus

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Hybrid Priming Induces Precocious Flowering in
Maileme-107 Accession

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## 3 The Med-Hub: An Open-Access Data Repository for Orphan Legumes Research

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The Med-Hub is a decision-support tool designed for:

* **Researchers & Breeders:** Access standardised, FAIR-compliant data to identify resilient legume accessions and optimise priming protocols, accelerating pre-breeding programmes.

* **Agronomists & Advisors:** Download field trial results to advise farmers on which primed legume varieties perform best in specific local soil and climatic conditions.

* **Policy Makers:** Utilise the integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and socio-economic data to inform strategies for sustainable agricultural development in vulnerable regions.

All datasets are publicly available for download and reuse via the official BENEFIT-Med (https://www.benefit-med.eu/) dataverse on the French national research data platform.
Link: https://entrepot.recherche.data.gouv.fr/dataverse/Benefit-Med_Hub

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BENEFIT-MED demonstrates the power of **biopriming**, a simple technique where seeds are enriched with *Bacillus subtilis*. This bacteria produces **PGA**, acting as a natural super-stimulant to boost plant vigour.

* ☑ Earlier flowering - *Lathyrus sativus* begin their cycle faster

* ☑ Leaves richer in anthocyanins – Indicating better health and stress resistance

* ☑ Data accessible to all – All our trial results are available on the Med-Hub platform

Promising open field results will pave the way for forthcoming FORECAST (PRIMA) and PROSPER (Horizon Europe) projects to scale up these innovations.

<footnote n="1">¹Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy</footnote>