The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), through the Plant Genetics and Development group of the Biological Mission of Galicia (MBG), coordinates the project “Maximizing the benefits of cover crops through winter legume species selection and crop management (MAXI-CoberLEG)”, funded under the CAP Strategic Plan (2023-2027) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
The research, with a public-private collaboration approach, is being carried out until 2027. It involves the Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), the University of Valencia (UV), the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Bio Varsella S.L., Masía El Carmen S.L, Cooperativa Agrícola de Pego (COOPEGO), Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence S.L. and the Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega (FEUGA).
The achievement of these objectives will allow the development of criteria for the selection of native lupin species or varieties based on local/crop-specific conditions, the design and establishment of cover crops based on the selection of the lupin species/variety best suited to each scenario and that promote biological control by conservation, and also cover crops based on the selection of the lupin species/variety in terms of greater benefits in nutrients, water balance and microbial diversity in the soil. This is coupled with proposing protocols based on quantitative evidence to improve yield and fruit quality using sustainable management practices in citrus crops.
