International Lathyrus Day

On June 3, 2024, the first International Lathyrus Day conference will take place in Ghent, Belgium. The event will be hosted by the VIB, the International Plant Biotechnology Outreach, with the support of the Fernand Lambein Fund, the Crop Trust, and ICARDA, which holds a global mandate for lathyrus (also known as grasspea) improvement.  

Honoring the legacy of Fernand Lambein, a renowned researcher in the field of Lathyrus sativus, this event invites academics and professionals and grasspea community to come together, foster connections and provide valuable insights into grasspea research and its practical applications.

To kick off the conference, ICARDA's Country Director for India and Head of the Food Legume Research Platform, Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal, will hold a keynote speech on "Accelerating the pace of innovation in grass pea improvement" in the first session about "Breeding for grasspea improvement". He will also moderate the second session, followed by an afternoon intervention by ICARDA's legume breeder and expert in genetic innovation, Dr. Fouad Maalouf, who will speak about the "Current status and future prospects of grass pea improvement". 

Find out more about the conference here.