A novel approach to the development of pea crops could provide Northern Ireland-grown protein alternatives to imported soya and an important addition in arable crop rotations
The partners in a major new research project to produce an alternative protein crop to imported soya using peas are pleased to announce that the project has successfully generated peas that have enhanced nutritional qualities, reduced allergenic properties and do not have the characteristic pea flavour that has limited their use in food manufacturing.
The project partners – Belfast headquartered forage seed specialists, Germinal, together with the John Innes Centre, the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University, and the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) - were awarded a €1.15 million research grant in 2023 by the UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Farming Innovation Pathways via Innovate UK. The project has three core objectives: to produce a viable alternative to imported soya with home-grown protein crops, to meet market demand for taste and functionality in food manufacturing, and to produce a protein alternative to soya that can be grown sustainably.
The project utilises discoveries made and developed by the John Innes Centre that suppress the characteristic flavour of peas and enhance their protein quality. The first phase of the Pea Protein Project was to incorporate these innovations into commercially viable pea plants using traditional plant breeding methods. This work, carried out by Germinal’s research division (Germinal Horizon embedded at Aberystwyth University in Wales) has successfully met this objective ahead of schedule.
The next and ongoing phase of the project is to develop new, elite varieties and grow the resultant pea plants on farms to test their agronomical performance and their food processing attributes.
Paul Billings, Chief Executive of Germinal Ireland and the UK, said:
“Pea crops provide a rich source of protein and boost soil health through fixing free atmospheric nitrogen, leaving behind a supply of nutrients for following crops in crop rotations. Their potential to help reduce reliance on imports of soya, which in Ireland can amount to three-quarters of a million tonnes per year, is enormous. But this also depends on our ability to broaden out their use as a sustainably produced, locally grown source of protein in food manufacturing.
“We have now cleared a further hurdle by improving the protein quality of peas while removing the flavour that holds back their wider use and demand in food manufacturing. This has been achieved through traditional plant breeding methodologies.”
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Roger Vickers, Chief Executive of the Processors and Growers Research Organisation, said:
“We are now about to embark on the next phase of the project which is to multiply the seed stock to permit testing of their agronomic performance under practical farm growing conditions.
“This project has the potential to introduce a protein crop with a wide range of applications in food manufacturing that will be both commercially attractive to farmers and a significant contributor in terms of nutrients, soil health and disease control in arable rotations.”
Professor Claire Domoney, Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre, said:
“We are delighted that the novel traits our team identified and studied in pea plants over many years are now being incorporated into arable crops that we expect will be of lasting value to farming and food production. This will provide a home-grown, sustainable alternatives to soya. The work underway on the Pea Protein Project confirms, yet again, the long-term value of primary scientific research and the future solutions to practical challenges that it can underpin.”
Dr Ana Winters, Team leader at IBERS, Aberystwyth University adds:
“We are very excited to be part of this groundbreaking project, and we are looking forward to exploring the opportunities for plant-based protein foods offered by these new pea cultivars. These crops represent a significant advancement for the alternative protein industry.”
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