The rise of high-protein, early-maturity, climate-smart chickpeas/
How wild genes are redefining performance and value

You co-founded NuCicer to bring wild chickpea diversity into commercial breeding. What convinced you that translating wild genetic resources could become a real business opportunity for growers and processors?

The project started with a few scientific questions. How does the diversity of wild Cicer species differ from the diversity of cultivated Cicer species (C. arietinum = chickpea)? Once we established how and how much the wild species differed from cultivated, then the question turned to why — Does wild diversity allow adaptation to natural habitats? Are there aspects of wild diversity that might be useful in agriculture?

Specific wild traits became priorities as we studied the wild collections. Eventually we focused on a few. In my academic lab we investigate nitrogen fixation, disease resistance, and the ability to grow in acidic soils. At NuCicer we focus on protein.

The notion of establishing a business came from my daughter, Kathryn Cook, who is the CEO of NuCicer. Kathryn knew of the high protein content in my lab’s genetic materials and she thought we should start a company around those observations. Kathryn has a background in technology and business. She also has great interpersonal skills and is a very good strategic thinker. She was well suited to the task of starting NuCicer. 

How did you envision bridging the gap between lab discoveries and practical solutions for the pulse industry?

Bridging the gap from discoveries in the lab to applications in industry required several components: determining that particular wild traits (e.g., high protein) could be transferred to cultivated varieties (they can!), setting up an effective R&D pipeline, understanding the business space (production, markets, customers, etc) and implementing the various facets of launching and running a company.

What first sparked your interest in chickpeas and pulses?

My initial interest was nitrogen fixation in legumes, which I have studied in an academic context for over 30 years. For most of the first two decades of my career, I focused on questions about fundamental science. I became interested in chickpea and other pulse crops around 2006, when I traveled to India. At that time I decided to turn my focus to the study of legume crops, especially to the task of developing genetic and genomic resources to tackle real world problems.

By 2012 we had made good progress on developing genomic resources for chickpea. Moreover, chickpea looked like a great system to ask fundamental questions about legume domestication, which was an interest of mine. Today I continue to be motivated by work on nitrogen fixation, but this has expanded to issues of disease resistance and resistance to abiotic soil stress.

NuCicer is developing chickpea varieties with up to 75% higher protein and earlier maturity. What tangible advantages could these traits deliver — in yield stability, risk management, or profitability? And beyond yield and protein, which other traits do you see adding value, for instance, protein quality, cooking traits, or suitability for plant-based products?

More protein in the seed means fewer money to produce more protein. Higher protein simplifies ingredient lists. It also opens new avenues for processing. Etc. Chickpea is well-suited for plant-based products. High consumer acceptance. Mild flavor. Pleasant aroma. There are traits at the farm level. Traits at the levels of seed processing and ingredient production. Traits of interest to consumers. Many of these traits are well known, but need improvement.

As climate pressures increase, what advances from your research pipeline could help pulse growers adapt? 

In terms of climate resilience, drought and heat are high on the list. We can push chickpea to perform better under low water availability and under high temperatures, but there are limits. Nevertheless, I think we can anticipate new varieties that have greater resiliency as temperatures and water availability vary. We can also anticipate greater resistance to diseases that are driven by climate, such as Ascochyta blight. But to meet the challenges of climate, we should anticipate a combination of genetics and agronomic practices, which is an old story that is still true. 

Your recent work highlights the importance of soil microbial communities for chickpea health. What practical lessons can growers take from this — in crop rotation, soil management, or disease prevention? For those already managing soil-borne diseases, which innovations or approaches could have the greatest near-term impact? 

There is certainly room to improve microbial inoculants for nitrogen fixation, but it's not just a matter of better microbes. Developing cultivated plant varieties that respond better to microbes is also important. Chickpeas that fix significantly more nitrogen will have greater value as rotation crops — this is a very realistic, if complicated, goal.

Soil borne diseases will continue to require the use of appropriate agronomic practices, including site selection, chemistry and rotation management. But the greatest impact will be genetic resistance, which will require investments in research beyond those that are currently being made.  

How can researchers and industry collaborate to ensure breeding priorities align with actual market needs?

In order for research to impact market needs, one needs specific research targets. Those targets need to be realistic from a research perspective (we can’t solve all problems with research), resources need to be appropriate to the task, and the business case needs to justify the investment. One needs to prioritize effort. Dialogue is a good starting point.

How do you see chickpea production evolving over the next decade, and where do you anticipate the greatest opportunities for trade or innovation?

In the decadal time frame, I think we will see the establishment of new chickpea varieties with increased value due to novel genetic innovation. High protein is one example, but there are others. Success will require capturing value across the value chain (R&D, growers, processors, customers). I see this as an incremental process; first, small and stable inroads, followed by a future where chickpea is one of the major global commodities.

You’re closely involved with the International Conference on Legume Genetics and Genomics (ICLGG). How do events like this accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge research into practical outcomes for the pulse industry?

Traditionally ICLGG has fostered communication within the scientific community. But this is changing. ICLGG 2026 will involve the “Legume Industry Value Chain Workshop” where representatives of the pulse industry communicate needs to researchers. Moreover, throughout the workshop there will be scientific sessions focused on breeding technologies, trait targets, applications to crop improvement, etc., which sit in the continuum between research and real-world application. 

If you could share one insight with pulse industry leaders about the future of pulses, what would it be? And on a personal level, what discovery or innovation are you most excited about right now in your own work?

In my academic work, I am most excited about the possibility of developing legumes that contribute, in a more substantial way than now, to agricultural sustainability. Nitrogen. Water. Soil health. Productivity on marginal lands. Currently these are aspirational goals, typically not translated with high impact to the farm. I know this can change, but we need appropriate focus. 

We need outcome-based management of priorities. And we need sustained and patient investment. It’s not just about research. It’s also about grower and industry priorities, as well as government policies.