Traditional pulses: agronomical characterization, innovative and healty food, opportunities for the creation of short food supply chain
In a first step, aims of project are to revitalize the cultivation of “Cicerchia” or “Chickling pea” (Lathyrus sativus) from Serra de 'Conti and other traditional legumes of the Marche Region and to encourage sustainable agronomic practices such as the cereals-legumes consociation in order to preserve the agricultural biodiversity and to increase soil quality. In a second step the aim is to set up food made with legume flour characterized by high nutritional quality and healthy properties. Finally, the aim is to establish a network between farmers, companies, University and consumers to promote traditional legumes.
- Developing a crop technique with a low environmental impact, using “Cicerchia”- traditional cereals consociation.
- Developing innovative food products obtained with “Cicerchia” flour which has a high nutritional quality.
- Promoting traditional legumes by involving local farmers, by creating high quality production chain and by proposing these products to the market in a stronger and more organized way.
Aims of the project titled “Traditional legumes: agronomic enhancement, innovative and functional foods, opportunities for short food supply chain” are to revitalize traditional legume farming in the Marche region, to introduce the use of good agricultural practices and to obtain innovative food products.
Although legumes play important roles in agriculture (increment in soil fertility, high productivity and possibility to be cultivated in "marginal" areas) their diffusion is still very limited. According to ISTAT 2011, they represent just over 2.6% of the Agricoltural land (cereals represent 38%). Moreover, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for vegetable-derived proteins for human nutrition. Legume are an important food source of proteins and other bioactive molecules that can have positive effects for human
health such as fibers and phytonutrients.
Given these advantages, why not give space to legumes on your farm? Why not adopt a cultivation method that respects soil and the environment, with long-term benefits? Why not intercept a rapidly growing market demand?
To answer these questions we propose a project focused on a traditional legume, “Cicerchia” or “Chickling pea” (Lathyrus sativus) from Serra de 'Conti.
La Bona Usanza is "farmer keeper" of the Cicerchia di Serra de 'Conti (grass pea) and is involved in the in situ genetic conservation of this accession. Our aim is to experiment the cultivation of the Cicerchia of Serra de 'Conti in the Apennine Mountains area,
thus helping to spread and safeguard the genetic heritage of this legume.
The medium-term objective will be to improve the cultivation technique of the grass pea by exploiting the intercropping with a cereal, in this case Jervicella common wheat and Saragolla durum wheat, and to evaluate whether the cultivation in a piedmont environment can effectively reduce damage to its natural parasite (weevil).
Creating products with high nutritional value starting from legume flours and other alternative flours obtained from varieties registered in the regional Repertoire of
agricultural biodiversity (Jervicella common wheat) based on the good results obtained
from preliminary experiments.
Improving the technology of pasta making using legume flours and other alternative gluten-free flours. Since 2017, we've started a collaboration with Ciccarelli Pasta factory, creating some prototypes of food specialties similar to durum wheat pasta. The manufacturing process must be optimized in order to obtain a product with optimal characteristics in terms of cooking resistance, workability, organoleptic characteristics, etc.
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