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This report quantifies the agronomic advantages of including legumes, such as peas, in sustainable crop rotations to replace monoculture systems. Drawing on long-term trials, the authors demonstrate that sowing wheat after a legume crop can increase yields by 17% compared to continuous wheat cropping. Additionally, the nitrogen-fixing capabilities of legumes allow for an average saving of 40 kg of nitrogen fertilizer per hectare in the following wheat crop, while simultaneously increasing the cereal's fertilizer-use efficiency. The paper also highlights the role of legumes in integrated pest and weed management. By breaking the life cycles of cereal-specific pests, such as Zabrus tenebroides, and providing opportunities to use different active ingredients in plant protection products, legumes significantly reduce crop damage and the risk of herbicide resistance. The authors conclude that these ecosystem services make legumes a keystone for building more resilient and economically profitable agricultural systems in Europe.