Pongamia trees are better known for the shade of their broad-spreading canopies than as a source of regenerative foods and renewable energy here in Australia. That may soon change.

To prove its viability as a climate-smart, high-yield tree crop with a multitude of valuable applications in the region, California-based Terviva recently established a 9.5ha Pongamia research and development site in Emerald, Qld.

Pongamia, also known by the common botanical name Millettia Pinnata, is native to Northern Australia, India and subtropical regions around the world.

It is a climate resilient legume in the family of peanuts, soybeans, and peas that yields nutrient dense beans. Roughly 25 percent of the bean is protein with a balance of essential amino acids similar to soybean.

Another 40 percent of the bean contains nutritious vegetable oil. Terviva’s patented cultivars are selected for the consistency of yield, netting approximately 40 kilograms of beans per tree, which equates to more than six tonnes of bean flour and roughly 4000 litres of vegetable oil per hectare.

After more than a decade of research and innovation, Terviva announced in 2019 that it had created the first food grade oil and protein ingredients from Pongamia beans, called Ponova.

Since then, Terviva has worked with the world’s leading food companies to trial Ponova ingredients that satisfy consumers’ appetites for quality plant-based foods that are responsibly sourced and sustainable.

By next year, Terviva will deliver the first Ponova foods to consumer markets utilising existing bean supply found in India, with plans to broaden the supply chain across subtropical regions that would benefit most from the economic impact Terviva’s high-yielding Pongamia cultivars can offer.

Pongamia’s regenerative properties make it uniquely suited to meet Australia’s environmental challenges. It sequesters carbon, generates nitrogen, and improves water quality while growing on land where other crops cannot.

Importantly, Pongamia requires very little water and survives in drought conditions. It makes optimal use of subprime agriculture while yielding more beans per acre than soy.

Beyond its valuable use in a wide range of consumer-packaged foods, Pongamia offers a new sustainable opportunity for Australia’s graziers who need access to local protein.

Pongamia’s beans are already being used to create biofuel in Australia. As demand for carbon credits to offset corporate emissions creates more opportunities to diversify farmer revenues, Pongamia’s ability to sequester large amounts of greenhouse gasses can make it profitable for landowners to address climate challenges.

Terviva is enrolling farmers’ Pongamia trees in voluntary carbon offset markets worldwide.

Building on the discoveries of colleagues in Florida and Hawaii who’ve grown Pongamia in an orchard setting for the past 10 years, the Emerald research site will serve as a case study in how little water is required to maintain productivity. The trial offers extensive research and development opportunities.

Various sustainable management practices will be compared including the Troforte Farming System and Australia Soil Planners growing strategies, integrating regenerative agriculture approaches to improve soil function and reduce synthetic inputs.

Each planting block will get a soil moisture sensor and the site will have its own weather station to monitor local climate and soil conditions in real time. Individual trees will be monitored via an internet-connected platform that enables us to identify crop stress and disease at an early stage.

Automated scouting will provide real time data on the presence of certain pests. In addition to testing water input levels, we will review the benefits of tree density, intercropping, cover crops, grafting and rooting, silvopasture (integrating grazing and forestry), and optimal methods of harvest.

Pongamia offers an environmentally friendly opportunity to connect farmers to a valuable ecosystem that spans food, feed, fuel and carbon revenue at a time of increased global awareness of the interconnected relationship we have with our planet.

Research at the Emerald site will help prove why Pongamia is a much more valuable crop for Australians than previously realised. We look forward to sharing updates and engaging with landowners, farmers and other stakeholders who are interested in learning more.

*Written by Carlo van Dee, director, tree operations Terviva in Australia. He has a strong background in building horticulture projects with production teams in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. Prior to joining Terviva, he was general manager farming for the largest flower wholesaler in Australia. He has worked in Bolivia, Italy, Uganda and Australia for global horticultural corporations managing mother stock production and propagation. Carlo studied horticulture and plant science at Helicon in the Netherlands with an emphasis on plant physiology.