Swiss pea breeding
Legumes, such as peas, are of particular interest to agriculture due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. At the same time, the demand for plant-based protein is steadily increasing.
To date, varieties adapted to specific environments have mostly been evaluated for fodder purposes. In collaboration with leading breeding agencies, farmers’ associations, companies, and other research institutes, our aim is to strengthen pea cultivation in Switzerland.
The LES-EE-AB project seeks to develop a standardized protocol for evaluating pea varieties and integrating genetic analyses. Our role focuses on combining phenotypic and genotypic data to support and accelerate breeding programs. We are currently testing over 180 pea varieties, collecting detailed phenotypic and genotypic information. This data is then analyzed using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify SNPs that can serve as molecular markers for future breeding efforts.