Major diseases and pests, such as root rots, ascochyta blights and aphids, are limiting factors to cool season pulse production in many countries worldwide, especially in Europe. In the context of pesticide reduction, plant genetic resistance and architecture are main traits that can be mobilised in breeding for disease and pest management. Knowledge of quantitative resistance to major diseases and pests of pea and faba bean in France has benefited from the development of sequenced genomes and massive SNP markers [1], which have recently been highly valuable to identify candidate genes controlling resistance. Fine mapping and sequencing of major resistance QTL [2], as well as Linkage Analysis (LA) [3] and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) coupled with Genotyping By Sequencing (GBS) technologies, have been developed to identify, compare and study synteny of loci and candidate genes for resistance. Plant and canopy architectures have been studied in pea for their effect on limiting disease severity and epidemics. Alleles at genes controlling aerial or root plant architectural traits were found to cosegregate with resistance alleles at QTL controlling aerial or root diseases [4]. Combining plant resistance and architecture traits unfavourable to diseases and pests will be a key strategy for durable crop protection. Future research will combine other plant traits with resistance and architecture, such as plant ability to select useful micro-organisms or to produce compounds that are beneficial to plant protection, as well as agricultural practices.