The organic seed regulations framework in Europe – current status and recommendations for future development

Organic agriculture regulations, in particular European regulation EC 889/2008, prescribe the use of organically produced seed. For many cultivated plants, however, organic seed is often not available. This is mainly because investment in organic plant breeding and seed production has been low in the past. To bridge the gap between organic seed supply and demand, national and European regulations define certain circumstances under which organic producers are permitted to use non-organically produced seed. While the organic sector currently depends on these concessions, they also threaten to impede a further increase in the demand for organic seed, thereby potentially restraining present and future investment in organic seed production and plant breeding. We review the current status of the organic seed regulations framework by analysing key issues such as the role of the national derogation regimes, the role of expert groups, databases and seed prices. Key points are that (a) the situation of the organic seed sector has improved over the last few years; however, (b) reporting on organic seed to the EU by different countries needs to be harmonised; (c) the success of the organic seed sector depends critically on the implementation and improvement of national expert groups; and (d) to protect genetic diversity, the use of local varieties and landraces should not be impeded by organic seed regulations

Caracterização de isolados de Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris de sistemas de produção orgânico e reação de brássicas à podridão-negra Characterization of strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris from organic farming systems and reaction of brassicas to black rot

Noventa isolados de Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) de brássicas oriundas de sistemas de produção orgânico das Zonas da Mata e Agreste de Pernambuco foram caracterizados com base na sensibilidade a antibióticos e sulfato de cobre e atividade de esterase. A maioria apresentou alta sensibilidade à tetraciclina (76,6%), eritromicina (63,3%) e estreptomicina (63,3%), resistência à amoxicilina (70%), gentamicina (40,0%) e norfloxacin (45,5%) e média sensibilidade (44,4%) ou resistência (44,4%) à neomicina. Cinqüenta e cinco isolados de Xcc foram resistentes ao sulfato de cobre na concentração de 50 mg/mL e todos foram sensíveis ao produto na concentração de 200 mg/mL. Atividade de esterase foi apresentada por 92,22% dos isolados. A análise Euclidiana por ligação simples evidenciou variabilidade entre os isolados separando-os em sete grupos de similaridade. Foi estudada também a reação de 14 cultivares de brássicas à podridão-negra, utilizando o isolado "B21" de Xcc. As cultivares diferiram significativamente entre si em relação ao período de incubação, incidência e severidade final da doença. Os maiores valores de severidade final da doença foram verificados em brócolos "Ramoso", couve-flor "Bola de Neve" e "Piracicaba de Verão", e repolho "Chato de Quintal". Os híbridos de couve-chinesa "AF 70", "AF 72", "AF 69" e "AF 66" mostraram-se altamente resistentes à doença, enquanto que brócolos "Ramoso" e "Precoce Piracicaba", couve-flor "Piracicaba de Verão" e "Híbrido Cindy" e repolho "60 Dias" foram medianamente resistentes.<br>Ninety strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) from brassicas grown under organic farming systems in the "Mata" and "Agreste" regions of Pernambuco, Brazil, were characterized based upon sensitivity to antibiotics and copper sulfate, and esterase activity. Most of the strains showed high sensitivity to tetracycline (76.6%), erythromycin (63.3%) and streptomycin (63.3%), resistance to amoxicilin (70%), gentamicin (40.0%) and norfloxacin (45.5%) and medium sensitivity (44.4%) or resistance (44.4%) to neomycin. Fifty-five strains of Xcc were resistant to copper sulfate at 50 mg mL-1 and all of them to 200 mg mL-1; 92.22% of the strains showed esterase activity. Strains were grouped in seven similarity groups by the Euclidean analysis-single linkage. The reaction of 14 genotypes of brassicas to strain "B21" of Xcc was also studied. The genotypes significantly differed among them in relation to incubation period, incidence and disease severity. The highest disease severity was recorded on broccoli "Ramoso", cauliflower "Bola de Neve" and "Piracicaba de Verão", and cabbage "Chato de Quintal", classified as highly susceptible to black rot. The Chinese cabbage hybrids "AF 70", "AF 72", "AF 69" and "AF 66" were highly resistant to black-rot, while broccolis "Ramoso" and "Piracicaba Precoce", cauliflower "Piracicaba de Verão" and "Híbrido Cindy" and cabbage "60 Dias" showed intermediate resistance