What agronomic management practices exist for improvement of production of protein crops in Europe? A systematic map protocol

This work is part of a European project called “Development of high-quality food protein from multi-purpose crops through optimized, sustainable production and processing methods” (PROTEIN2FOOD, AMD-635727). This project aims to provide a platform for a diverse production of protein crops throughout various EU-climate zones, supporting reduction of soybean import, and generating novel protein food products by combination of nutritious protein sources, i.e., the quality and quantity of protein from selected high protein quality seed crops (quinoa, amaranth) and legumes with high protein content (lupin, faba beans, pea, chickpea, lentil), to support the reduction of meat consumption. The positive trend will be strengthened by the development of new plant-based protein-rich products of high consumer acceptance, environmental sustainability, and income generation for farmers in European countries.

Protein crops can represent a sustainable answer to growing demand for high quality,protein-rich food in Europe. To better understand the state of scientific studies on protein crops, a systematic map of field trials results to collect existing knowledge and agronomic practices on protein crops in European countries was conducted using published data from the literature.Here we present the evidence base visualised in an evidence atlas.