Multi-actor culinary breeding methodologies: from theory to practical examples in Europe

Im Rahmen des - LET'S LIBERATE DIVERSITY! Forum, DUBLIN, 26/27/28. Oktober 2023 - organisiert ECO-PB den Workshop "Multi-actor culinary breeding methodologies: from theory to practical examples in Europe". ECO-PB unterstützte die Teilnahme von sechs jungen Fachleuten aus der ökologischen Züchtung und Saatguterzeugung für ihre Teilnahme. Vier Expert*innen wurden eingeladen, um ihre Arbeit und Erfahrungen mit Multi-Akteurs-Methoden in der kulinarischen Züchtung zu präsentieren

Grain yield and competitive ability against weeds in modern and heritage common wheat cultivars are differently influenced by sowing density

Sowing density can have a strong impact on crop stand development during wheat growing cycle. In organic and low-input agriculture, and therefore with minimum or nil use of chemical herbicides, increased sowing density is expected to affect not only grain yield but also weed suppression. In this study we tested, under Mediterranean conditions, six common wheat cultivars (three modern and three heritage) and two three-component mixtures (arranged by combining the three modern or the three heritage cultivars). The different crop stands were tested at sowing densities of 250 (low) and 400 (high, similar to standard sowing density used by local farmers) viable seeds m-2 for two growing seasons. We did not detect a significant effect of crop stand diversity (single cultivars vs mixtures) on grain yield and weed suppression. Differences were ascribed to type of cultivars used (heritage vs modern). Compared to high sowing density, in modern cultivars grain yield did not decrease significantly with low sowing density whereas in heritage cultivars it increased by 15.6%, possibly also because of 21.5% lower plant lodging. Weed biomass increased with low sowing density both in heritage and modern cultivar crop stand types. However, heritage crop stands had, on average, a lower weed biomass (56%) than modern crop stands. Moreover, weed biomass in heritage crop stands at low density (6.82 ± 1.50 g m-2) was lower than that of modern cultivars at the same sowing density (15.54 ± 3.35 g m-2), confirming the higher suppressive potential of the former. We can conclude that lower sowing density can be advisable when using heritage crop stands as it keeps productivity while decreasing plant lodging and maintaining weeds under control

Screening suitable legumes for living mulches to support nitrogen dynamics and weed control in a durum wheat-forage sorghum crop sequence

Relay intercropping of service legumes (living mulch) is a valuable agroecological practice to support nutrient availability, yield and non-chemical weed control in a crops sequence, if suitable legumes are chosen. This study tested the suitability of eight legume living mulches for relay intercropping in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) evaluating their effects on the subsequent forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in a Mediterranean low-input cereal-based cropping system. Legumes include perennial (Medicago sativa, Medicago lupulina, Trifolium repens, Hedysarum coronarium), annual (Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium resupinatum) and annual self-seeding (Trifolium subterraneum, Medicago polymorpha) species. A plot experiment repeating two times a wheat-sorghum crop sequence, was carried out in Central Italy to assess the effects of relay intercropping of legumes on agronomical and economic performance of the associated wheat and subsequent sorghum. The legumes were undersown in the already developed durum wheat in late winter. They were maintained after wheat harvest and used as green manure by biomass chopping and plowing in the following spring at sorghum sowing time. None of the intercropped legumes affected N uptake or grain protein content of the companion wheat with respect to the control (wheat sole crop). In the spring before sorghum sowing, N input from legume biomass residues was assessed and it sensibly changed according to legume species, ranging from 1.2 (T. incarnatum) to 182 kg ha−1 (H. coronarium). The legume treatments significantly affected the N uptake in the subsequent sorghum and it ranged from 20.2 to 172.6 kg ha−1. Without the use of additional external nitrogen input, average sorghum dry biomass production preceded by H. coronarium (13.3 t ha−1), T. repens (11.8 t ha−1), T. subterraneum (11.0 t ha−1) and M. sativa (9.3 t ha−1) was in line with the productive level under conventional conditions. Biomass residues of M. sativa significantly reduced the total weed biomass in sorghum by 65% compared with the control. In sorghum, preceding legumes such as T. resupinatum and T. incarnatum promoted dicotyledonous weed growth. Hedysarum coronarium and T. repens were the best legumes for relay intercropping in the low-input wheat-sorghum crop sequence under Mediterranean conditions of this study according to agronomic and economic evaluation. These legumes were able to increase soil nitrogen content allowing to significantly reduce external nitrogen fertilization while optimizing sorghum production. When gross income is calculated at cropping system level, most legumes provide a positive economic balance

Integrating organic breeding into value-chain partnerships to ensure the integrity of organic products and strengthen consumers’ confidence

Flyer of the project Enagagement.Biobreeding Europ

Organic seed and plant breeding to accelerate sustainable and diverse food systems in Europe

LiveSeeding in a nutshell ▪ Background ▪ Objectives ▪ Multi-actor approach & Living Labs implementation ▪ Pathway to Impact: PUSH – PULL - ENABL

Communication and the Pragmatic Condition

Presented March 9, 201

Züchtung von Weisser Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) auf Anthraknose-Toleranz: Projektbeschreibung und Ergebnisse

Wir züchten anthraknosetolerante, frühe und süße Weiße Lupinen für eine proteinreiche, pflanzenbasierte Ernährung von Mensch und Tier. Bisher suchen wir die gesündesten und süßesten Phänotypen, erarbeiten aber auch genomische Selektion

Smart use of microbial-rich vermicomposting to enhance tripartite plant-microbe-soil interactions

Vermicomposting is a natural process that utilizes earthworms and associated microbiome to transform organic wastes into vermicompost by-products that are rich in beneficial microorganisms and nutrients such as carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium, and calcium. Liquid vermicompost extract (LVE), a derivative of the vermicomposting process, has recently gained interest among scientists and organic farmers due to their potential ability to enhance tripartite plant-microbe-soil interactions that would lead to improved plant and root growth, soil health and overall crop yield productivity. To investigate the short-term effect of LVE on soil mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) and plant-mycobiome interactions, a field trial was carried out at CiRAA E. Avanzi, San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy. The effect of LVE and its associated microbial and chemical components on soil MIP and AMF root colonization was evaluated on five summer crops, i.e. chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The test plants were grown with or without the application of LVE in a split-plot trial with five replicates. Freshly made LVE from vermicomposting of wheat straws mixed with horse manure was screened for microbial properties using the Illumina Miseq sequencing platform. Seed inoculation with LVE was done before planting while field inoculation was done at the stem-elongation stage. Un-inoculated seeds and plots were used as controls. Soil MIP was assessed before planting and after harvesting, while AMF root colonization was evaluated at the mid-flowering stage of each crop. The bacterial 16S and fungal ITS sequence analyses showed a high bacteria and fungal abundance and taxonomic alpha diversity present in the LVE. The most dominant taxa included Mucor, Citrobacter, Pseudomonas, Arcobacter, Azomonas and Clostridium. These microbes are commonly found in agricultural soil and are linked to the hydrolysis of complex organic matter, nutrient recycling, production of growth-promoting factors and siderophores, while others are known to produce peptide antimycotics and antibiotics that protect plants against pathogenic soil microorganisms. The soil MIP significantly (p < 0.0001) differed between the two soil sampling times (before planting and after harvesting). It was evident that both seed and field inoculation with LVE significantly enhanced the soil MIP and this could benefit the next crop under rotation. AMF root colonization varied significantly across the crop species (p < 0.0001) and LVE treatment (p = 0.006). Highly nodulated lentils and berseem clover roots recorded significantly higher AMF root colonization than all the other crops. LVE inoculation had an overall positive effect on AMF root colonization with an average increase of 6.2% compared to the un-inoculated crops. These short-term results indicate that there could be a positive effect of the LVE inoculation on the soil MIP and AMF root colonization of our test crops, which could be attributed to the beneficial additive effects of the LVE that enhanced the tripartite plant-microbe-soil interactions

Legume Ecotypes and Commercial Cultivars Differ in Performance and Potential Suitability for Use as Permanent Living Mulch in Mediterranean Vegetable Systems

Weed control in organic conservative vegetable systems is extremely challenging and the use of legume permanent living mulches (pLM) presents an interesting opportunity. The successful use of pLM is largely determined by the choice of appropriate legumes which are able to combine adequate weed control with a marginal competitive effect on the cash crop(s). However, the availability of legumes for such systems is limited and their characterization based on growth traits can support the selection of suitable legumes for conservation organic vegetable systems. The current study investigated weed control capacity and variability in morphological and phenological traits relevant in inter-plant competition among a range of 11 commercial cultivars of legumes and seven ecotypes of Medicago polymorpha (bur medic). For commercial cultivars, Lotus corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) and Trifolium repens (white clover) showed the best weed control capacity, while Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover) and Medicago polymopha had more suitable characteristics for a rapid and complete establishment of the pLM. Overall, legume mulches appear more effective in dicotyledonous than in monocotyledonous weed control. Trifolium subterraneum cv. Antas and T. repens cv. Haifa were identified as the potentially most suitable legumes for use as pLM and their use in mixtures could be a promising solution. In addition, the ecotypes of Medicago polymorpha Manciano and Talamone proved to be well adapted for local environmental conditions and they showed a better weed suppression than the commercial cultivars of Medicago polymorpha

Relay intercropping can efficiently support weed management in cereal-based cropping systems when appropriate legume species are chosen

Relay intercropping of subsidiary legumes with durum wheat (living mulch) can be a viable option to support ecological weed control and optimize nutrient cycling in cereal-based cropping systems. However, the lack of knowledge on suitable legume species is often identified as the main bottleneck for the successful application of legume living mulches. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of 12 different legumes for relay intercropping with wheat in two contrasting Mediterranean cereal-based cropping systems respectively characterized by low-input and integrated management. Each legume was monitored from the undersowing in wheat until the following spring and we compared direct drilling to broadcast sowing of legumes. None of the undersown legumes showed a negative effect on the wheat grain yield. Relay intercropping of legumes proved to be an effective solution to control weeds before and after the wheat harvest, provided suitable legumes species are chosen. Suitable legumes reduced the weed biomass up to the 90% during the intercropping and up to 94% in the following spring. On the contrary, legumes such as Trifolium resupinatum, V icia villosa, Medicago truncatula, and Medicago scutellata boosted weed growth in the following spring in comparison with the control. According to the performance of legumes, Medicago sativa, Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina had the most suitable characteristics for relay intercropping with durum wheat at the Ravenna site, in a highly productive region whereas Medicago sativa, Hedysarum coronarium and Trifolium subterraneum performed better in the low-input system near Pisa, where yields are generally lower. This is the first time that such a diversity in legumes species is tested in the same experiment for relay intercropping under diversified environmental and management conditions. The results of this study can support farmers in selecting the most appropriated legume species for their specific cropping systems and local conditions