What is the NUE-Leg project?
NUE-Leg will provide a unique network, scientific innovation, and the new knowledge needed by farmers and commercial partners to effectively utilise new legumes and associated technologies to deliver sustainable livestock systems and help farm businesses achieve net zero production.
NUE-Leg will deliver blueprints for exploiting novel, elite legume varieties and identify traits for continued breeding improvement, determine farm-specific prescription nutrient need and provide digital knowledge exchange (KE) systems to guide farmers. This integrated optimisation approach will greatly enhance grassland farming in mitigating enteric methane emissions, lowering nitrate losses, while boosting ruminant productivity and sustainable farm businesses.
England’s livestock agriculture is tasked with increasing efficiency of production while reducing environmental impacts. Thus, GHG emissions must contract by 78% (by 2035), with a livestock industry seeking net-zero (2050) against a background of escalating energy/input costs. Ruminants only capture around 25% of nitrogen ingested from grasslands and create 45% of UK methane emissions through rumen digestion, manure and slurry.
To reduce GHG/nutrient loading, more herbage protein must convert into meat and milk. NUE-Leg will directly address this challenge by developing technological solutions to reduce environmental impacts while enhancing the economics and sustainability of grassland farming.
Project partners
