Madalitso Mgunda, a postgraduate student from the UEA’s School of Global Development in Norwich, is investigating the potential benefits of reintroducing edible legumes into East Anglian farming rotations.

She said legumes were used extensively in the past to fix nitrogen in the soil, until synthetic chemical fertilisers became widely available in the mid-20th century.

But she hopes that returning them into arable rotations could reduce reliance on fertilisers, improve soil health and diversify crop rotations in one of England’s most productive farming regions.

Miss Mgunda brings more than six years’ experience in sustainable agriculture and food systems in Malawi, including work with the World Food Programme supporting legume value chains.

Madalitso Mgunda has six years’ experience in sustainable agriculture and food systems in Malawi, including work with the........

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