International
lathyrus day
Lathyrus Day 2026: a satellite event to the ILS
Building on the success of Lathyrus Day 2024 in Ghent, the 2026 edition will go global! Held in conjunction with the 5th International Legume Society Conference, the second International Lathyrus Day is scheduled for June 8, 2026, in the lively city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
We invite abstracts for the following two themes:
Theme 1: In the Lab: molecular, genetic, and physiological research on grasspea.
Theme 2: Bridging the gap: grasspea in the field.
There are two ways to participate in Lathyrus Day 2026: if you do not require funding, you can simply register to attend. Alternatively, if you need financial support, you are encouraged to apply for a travel grant — especially if you are from an underrepresented region. Travel grant applications are open until January 15, 2026.
Sponsor: Crop Trust
The Crop Trust is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and availability of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in perpetuity. At the core of Crop Trust is an Endowment Fund dedicated to providing long-term financial support to secure key collections of crop diversity in genebanks worldwide and ensure their availability for use, forever and for the benefit of everyone. The Crop Trust supports the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and works closely with dedicated donors and partners to coordinate and implement large-scale projects worldwide, such as BOLD – Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development. One of the focus areas of the BOLD Project is pre-breeding for seven key food and forage crops: alfalfa, barley, durum wheat, finger millet, grasspea, potato and rice.
PAST EDITIONS:
First International Lathyrus Day
The first International Lathyrus Day took place on June 3, 2023, in collaboration with Crop Trust and ICARDA. The event brought together leading voices in grasspea research, featuring keynote presentations by Dr. Peter Emmrich of the Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development and Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal from ICARDA. Both experts shared their latest findings on Lathyrus sativus, offering attendees valuable insights into the crop’s potential and practical applications.
The event aimed to foster knowledge exchange and spark collaboration within the scientific community. It also served as a dynamic platform for future contributions, with participants invited to submit abstracts. This opportunity allowed researchers and innovators to actively shape the Lathyrus Day program, enriching the event with fresh perspectives, groundbreaking research, and forward-thinking ideas.
