An agriculture research station at Kingaroy is set to become a major hub for pigeon pea research following the addition of 53 hectares of adjoining land.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said the expansion of the Kingaroy Research Facility would allow work with pigeon pea to ramp up while also expanding existing trials.
"As one of the most widely-consumed pulses in the world, it has great potential as a summer cash crop," he said.
"There is strong international demand for pigeon pea and it could also help meet growing demand for plant protein here in Australia.
"It's a crop well suited to Australian growing conditions and could eventually match mung beans as the best broadacre, dryland summer cropping option in subtropical Australia.
"The Kingaroy Research Facility with its unique soils and growing conditions, purpose-built infrastructure and agricultural equipment is the ideal location for pigeon pea work.
"The expansion of the site with the 2019 addition of the adjoining land will allow the extended rotations researchers need for even more reliable results."
The new land includes an on-site bore and creek flows, which will allow the construction of a dam of up to 50 megalitres.
