Innovative techniques for seed treatments compatible with organic farming

This tool is a data sheet that can be used by farmers or seed companies who produce or want to produce seeds in organic conditions. It presents innovative seed treatments that can be used in organic agriculture, such as chemical or microorganism-based treatments. It also focuses on thermotherapy, which can be very efficient for many seed pathogens, but quite complicated to implement

Varieties and seeds for organic farming: a solution for cabbage through participatory breeding in Brittany

In partnership with INRA, professionals from the organic vegetable sector in Brittany conducted a breeding programme for organically-farmed cabbage based on an evaluation programme of genetic resources collected from French (INRA) and European gene banks at the PAIS (Agro-biological platform of the Interprofessional Association for Organic Farming in Brittany), located in Suscinio. Between 2001 and 2003, the evaluation focused on quality criteria for commercial products and the suitability of varieties to the organic market, as well as on their adaptation to the environment. About 400 populations of cauliflower have thus been evaluated at the PAIS and/or by professionals in the sector in Brittany in order to evaluate their adaptation to organic production under different soil conditions and their suitability to various marketing channels. Ten of them were selected. Focused at first on cabbage, the programme was extended at the request of professionals and led to the breeding of several other species (tomato, carrot, lettuce, spinach, etc.). Breeding programs must now be optimized in order to satisfy consumer quality and adaptability requirements, and to design a coherent regulatory framework for participatory plant breeding and organic farming

State of organic seeds in France

A comprehensive range of investigations carried out between 2010 and 2012 provided information on the state of organic seeds in France. Results fit with the hypothesis that the market is a significant factor influencing the choice of seeds and cultivars (local cultivars, landraces, modern cultivars). Expectations and practices of producers selling on a local market (i.e., direct sale) differ radically from those of producers selling to long food supply chains. This study showed that the availability and use of organic seeds have significantly improved over the last three years. A vast majority of organic producers willingly use organic seeds, with, on average, 45-70 % (cereals), and 75%-100 % (vegetables) of organic seeds being planted on farms. However, the total number of derogations remained quite high: there is still space for improvement in organic seed use and supply in France. Several limiting factors and levers were identified during the study, as well as farmers’ expectations for the future on cereals, forage crops and vegetables. This study described an action plan, which must be carefully implemented. The organic sector depends on the development of a wide and adapted range of organic seeds

Producing forage crop seeds for organic agriculture: evolving techniques

This tool is a data sheet that can be used by French farmers who produce or want to produce forage crops seeds in organic conditions. It provides advice starting from the contract signing to the seed drying, going through the specificities of the crop, the sowing, irrigation, specific pests and their management, and the harvest

Produire des semences en agriculture biologique. Réglementations

This technical sheet presents the basic regulation rules that need to be known before starting organic seed production. It also presents where to find complementary information

Practical Guide for drying and storing vegetable seeds in organic small-scale and on-farm seed production

The germination rate and vigour of seeds affect how well a crop emerges and establishes. They are a crucial aspect of seed quality, as poor seed vigour will result in seedlings that are more sensitive to abiotic stress (for example soil compaction or drought) and biotic stress (pathogens, especially soil-borne ones) and might even affect the final performance of the crop! During seed storage, seeds age and their quality declines by oxidation. This is influenced by seed moisture level, presence of oxygen, and temperature, in decreasing order of importance. This guide-booklet explains and highlights the main issues to look out for when drying and storing seed. It proposes cost- and time-saving solutions for on-farm drying and storage. It namely addresses how to dry the seeds efficiently, how to ensure they stay dry during storage and how to protect them from oxygen. The fact that seeds must be properly dried after harvesting and stored in a dry, cool and dark environment is known to many seed producers. Yet, experience shows that these obvious precautions are not always taken, due to lack of time and resources or because of organisational difficulties. By providing practical examples, cases and guidance to reflect on your own context and objectives, we hope this booklet will help to lift some of the practical challenges associated with the drying and storing of vegetable seeds in small-scale seed enterprises and on-farm

Producing lettuce seeds for organic agriculture

This tool is a data sheet that can be used by French farmers who produce or want to produce lettuce seeds in organic conditions. It provides advice starting from the contract signing to the seed drying, going through the specificities of the crop, the sowing, irrigation, specific pests and their management, and the harvest

Propriété intellectuelle et sélection dans les pays du Sud

Do developing countries need plant variety protection rights? As a result of the Uruguay Round adopted in Marrakech in 1994, all WTO member countries should have implemented property rights systems before the year 2000. In this frame, countries ore required to provide "for the protection of plant varieties by patents or by an effective sui generis system or by any combination thereof". The interest of implementing IPR on plant varieties in developing countries is discussed, considering two types of seedlings or seeds: those with a very high added value (vegetable, ornamental, industrial... crops) and those for stopple food crops with a very low added value. If IPR are needed at short notice in the first case, in the second case the priority is to set up a bottom-up seed production organization aiming to promote individual initiatives at the former's level with an odapted seed quality control system implemented by governments. (Résumé d'auteur

Producing cabbage seeds for organic agriculture

This tool is a data sheet that can be used by French farmers who produce or want to produce cabbage seeds in organic conditions. It provides advice starting from the contract signing to the seed drying, going through the specificities of the crop, the sowing, irrigation, specific pests and their management, and the harvest