ICARDA at the 8th International Food Legume Research Conference and 5th Australian Pulse Conference

From 15–19 September 2025, the city of Perth, Australia, hosted two major global events for legume science, the 8th International Food Legume Research Conference (IFLRC) and the 5th Australian Pulse Conference. The conference brought together leading scientists, policymakers, and industry experts to exchange insights on innovations in food legume research, breeding technologies, and sustainable production systems.

ICARDA played an active role throughout the event, highlighting its global leadership in legume research and innovation aimed at improving food and nutritional security across dryland regions and beyond.

The conference opened with the pre-conference workshop “Genetic Gain–Pulses” on 15 September, organized by Murdoch University, where Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal and Dr. Fouad Maalouf represented ICARDA and delivered presentations focused on strategies to accelerate genetic gain in pulse crops, setting the tone for the scientific discussions that followed during the week.

From 16 to 18 September, ICARDA scientists actively participated in all eleven thematic sessions, which covered a wide range of topics, including genetic resources, agronomy, breeding technologies, climate resilience, nutrition, and the pulse industry. Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal chaired the session “Nutritious Legumes: Meeting Consumer Needs and Market Demand,” which featured experts and presentations on pioneering legume research aimed at enhancing nutritional security and meeting evolving market trends.

Dr. Fouad Maalouf, Legume Breeder,  presented ICARDA’s research on the performance of machine-harvestable lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) varieties in semi-arid environments. His poster and presentation attracted strong interest from international institutions exploring collaboration on machine-harvestable lentil technologies to minimize harvest losses. Dr. Maalouf also delivered a talk on “Increasing Protein Content and Grain Yield Using Multiparent-Derived Elite Lines in Faba Bean” under the session “Legumes: From Farm to Plate” on 18 September.

The Fernand Lambein Fund granted Dr. Smita Kaul, Associate Scientist, Genetic Resources, ICARDA,  participation in the conference, where she presented her research on “Sustainable Rice-Fallow Management with Legumes for Enhanced Productivity and Farmer Income.” Her presentation was delivered at the “Legume Agronomy: Economic, Environmental, and Social Dimensions” session. 

Other participants included Dr. Kishore Kumar Behera (ICARDA), and scientists engaged in the ICAR–ICARDA collaborative work plan. Among them, Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, ADG, ICAR, delivered an oral presentation on “Lathyrus Improvement in India: Retrospect and Prospect,” while Drs. Harsh Kumar Dixit from IARI, Arpita Das from BCKV and Anita Babar from JNKVV showcased joint research outcomes on legume improvement.

A key takeaway from the conference was the global recognition of ICARDA’s pioneering contributions to legume research, particularly in developing and distributing genetic resources that have supported breeding programs worldwide. Many presentations from international partners highlighted ICARDA’s collaborative impact.

In a significant acknowledgment of his leadership and scientific contributions, Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal was elected Chair of the Organizing Committee for the next International Food Legume Research Conference (IX), which will be held in China in 2030.