02/27/2025

Legume Festival at Omsk State Agrarian University

On February 26, a round table discussion Legume Festival was held at Omsk State Agrarian University as part of the International Day of Legumes and the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia.

In 2025, Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. A common task is to preserve the historical memory of the heroism of city residents and university employees who defended their homeland during the war years. Among those who perished in the flames of war were 108 lecturers and staff members of our university.

As part of the International Day of Legumes, the event focused on the challenges and prospects associated with the role of legumes in human nutrition and in improving soil fertility. It also highlighted new directions in plant breeding developed by the university’s scientific school.

The event gathered scientists from Omsk State Agrarian University and Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center, representatives of the Tyumen and Omsk branch of the Federal State Commission for Variety Testing, the Japan Center (Vladivostok), dietitians, students of the Agrotechnological Faculty, school students of agricultural classes from the Omsk Region, and all those interested in healthy nutrition.

Opening the meeting, Aleksey Alekseyevich Gaivas, Dean of the Agrotechnological Faculty, emphasized the importance of promoting legumes and healthy nutrition through such events.

Nina Grigoryevna Kazydub, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor of the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Plant Protection, delivered a presentation “Remembering Their Names Is Our Common Duty: The Contribution of the Faculty’s Scientists to Victory in the Great Patriotic War.” She also spoke about the results of research and breeding work on legumes at Omsk State Agrarian University.

Other speakers included:
• Svetlana Petrovna Kuzmina, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Agronomy, Plant Breeding, and Seed Production – Amazing Facts About Legumes.
• Lyudmila Valentinovna Omelyanyuk, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Chief Researcher at the Laboratory of Legume Breeding, Omsk ASC – “The Contribution of Omsk ASC Scientists to Victory in the Great Patriotic War” and “Soybeans in Functional Nutrition.”
• Olga Andreyevna Kotsyubinskaya, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Plant Protection – “The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Biochemical Composition of Green Beans and Common Bean Seeds.”
• Natalya Alexandrovna Vorobyova, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Japanese Studies, Far Eastern Federal University.
• Olga Yevgenyevna Sumarokova, staff member of the Japan Center, Vladivostok – “Overview of the Japanese Legume Market in 2024.”
• Anastasia Andreyevna Vlasova, first-year Master’s student, Department of Agronomy, Plant Breeding, and Seed Production – “Chickpeas: Food for the Poor and Pharaohs.”
• Roman Valeryevich Chernov, Assistant, Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Plant Protection – “Less-Common Legume Crops.”
• Liliya Nikolayevna Lemeshova, PhD student.
• Yelena Valentinovna Bezuglova, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Assistant of the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Plant Protection – “Broad Beans: Food of the Past and Future.”
• Yevgenia Vladimirovna Falaleyeva, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Management and Marketing – “Economic Indicators for Evaluating the Efficiency of Legume Cultivation in the Southern Forest-Steppe of Western Siberia.”
• Marina Yuryevna Kukoleva, 4th-year Bachelor’s student – “Study of Genetic Resources of Vegetable Pea Varieties of Different Morphotypes by Productivity.”

The participants of the Legume Festival were impressed by the nutritional value of well-known legumes and their applications in functional nutrition and culinary practices. They also learned about the role of legumes in enhancing soil fertility, phytomelioration, remediation, phytosanitary soil improvement, and energy savings in crop production, as well as their cultural importance across different nations.
There was a quiz organized for the students, and the most active participants received commemorative prizes. All guests of the round table were invited to a tasting of dishes prepared with legume varieties bred at Omsk State Agrarian University, and those interested received recipes and seeds of the university’s best bean varieties.
In conclusion, the participants thanked the speakers for their insightful contributions and proposed making the Legume Festival an annual event.

More photos are available in the VK group of Omsk State Agrarian University.