How can we make farming more resilient in the face of climate change and soil degradation? This question brought over 50 students, researchers, and agricultural professionals to the LEGUMINOSE intercropping summer school in Pakistan this June – to learn, exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and build new collaborations.
A milestone for LEGUMINOSE and GCUF
The Department of Environmental Sciences at the Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Pakistan, hosted the first-ever LEGUMINOSE Summer School from 23 to 27 June 2025. The event focused on “Crop Productivity and Soil Quality under Cereal-Legume Intercropping”.
As the first summer school under the LEGUMINOSE project – and the first of its kind at GCUF – the event marked a significant milestone for both the university and the project.
Building skills for sustainable farming
The summer school was designed to build local capacity and inspire the next generation of agricultural professionals. Its main goal: to deepen participants’ understanding of cereal-legume intercropping as a sustainable alternative to input-intensive farming. It also aimed to support intercropping adoption in Pakistan.
More than 50 participants from across Pakistan took part in the summer school. Among them were undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, early-career researchers, and young professionals specializing in environmental science, agronomy, and soil science. Through a mix of expert-led lectures, group work, and field visits, the programme helped them explore how intercropping works in real-life farming systems.
The summer school also supported a core ambition of the LEGUMINOSE project: to connect scientific research with on-the-ground practice, and to promote low-input, environmentally friendly farming methods. By sharing knowledge and encouraging collaboration, the event contributed to LEGUMINOSE’s broader mission of making agriculture more resilient and sustainable.
Expert-led, hands-on, and collaborative
Interactive lectures and expert sessions
The five-day programme combined theoretical lectures, interactive sessions, group work and field visits. Each day was designed to gradually deepen participants’ understanding of cereal-legume intercropping and its role in improving soil health, crop productivity, and environmental sustainability.
Throughout the week, national and international experts delivered lectures on a wide range of topics. These included the benefits of intercropping on soil microbial communities, its impact on nutrient cycling, and soil multifunctionality in intercropped systems:
- Dr Shamina Imran Pathan (University of Florence, Italy) presented on the role of microbial communities in intercropping
- Dr Norman Gentsch (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany) explored soil multifunctionality in intercropped systems
- Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Arif (GCUF) discussed microbial biomass
- Dr Allah Nawaz (AARI Faisalabad) presented on sustainable crop productivity
- Sultan Ahmed Bhatti (Sukheki Carbon Neutral Farm) shared field-based insights into practical intercropping systems
Group work and student presentations
In addition to lectures, group activities were a core part of the programme. Participants conducted SWOT analyses of intercropping systems and worked in teams to develop and present their findings. Divided into four groups, they explored the following topics:
- Crop yields and grain quality under cereal-legume intercropping
- Effects of legume-cereal intercropping on soil multifunctionality
- Soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics
- Microbial community composition and functions
On the fourth day, each group presented their findings to peers and facilitators.
The final day included a closing ceremony chaired by Prof Dr Tanvir Shahzad (Director ORIC, GCUF), where reflections were shared and certificates awarded.
Supporting the event throughout were several facilitators: Prof Dr Muhammad Riaz (Principal Investigator of LEGUMINOSE in Pakistan), Prof Dr Tahira Yasmeen (GCUF), Prof Dr Shafaqat Ali, Dr Fahd Rasul (University of Agriculture Faisalabad), and Sarfraz Sipra (FonGrow Pvt. Ltd.). LEGUMINOSE PhD students Hashir Najeed and Maryam Adil also played active roles in organising and coordinating the event and mentoring participant groups.
What participants took away
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Many highlighted how the summer school helped them connect classroom knowledge with real-world agricultural practices.
In addition to the student’s feedback, organisers were pleased with the active participation and the quality of the group discussions and presentations. Overall, the summer school not only deepened understanding of sustainable agriculture but also fostered collaboration across institutions and borders.
This was just the beginning
The LEGUMINOSE Summer School in Faisalabad was more than just an educational event. It also provided a platform for capacity building, cross-disciplinary exchange, and hands-on learning. By combining scientific knowledge with practical application, it helped equip participants to contribute to more sustainable and resilient farming systems.
Importantly, this was just the first in a series of three summer schools planned under the LEGUMINOSE project. Thus, the event laid important groundwork for continued learning, collaboration, and the wider adoption of intercropping practices.