Organic plant breeding and propagation: concepts and strategies

The organic farming system differs fundamentally from conventionally agriculture in the management of soil fertility,weeds,diseases and pests.Organic farmers depend greatly on conventionally bred and produced varieties,but require varieties better adapted to organic farming systems for further optimisation of organic agriculture.This includes a greater need for ‘reliable ’ varieties contributing to higher yield stability. In this thesis the concept of ‘naturalness ’ as applied in organic agriculture is elaborated and used as a guide to develop concepts and strategies for organic plant breeding and propagation.It refers to ecological and ethical principles,including the non-chemical and agro-ecological approach,and also taking the integrity of life into account. Based on these approaches the organic farming system is described and a general crop ideotype is defined.In the long run organic agriculture can only gain further progress when the genetic basis is renewed and broadened,and when the selection process is conducted under organic farming conditions. For self-fertilisers the concept of (isophenic)line mixture varieties seems most promising,being composed of lines which are phenotypically uniform but genetically heterogeneous.The ability to produce healthy seed under organic conditions should also be included in the variety ideotype.Further research is needed to develop protocols for seed health testing,to assess threshold values for seed-borne diseases and to design organic seed treatments. To improve transparency in the discussions on the ethical aspects of organic agriculture concerning the assessment of the suitability of the breeding and propagation techniques,the concept of the intrinsic value and integrity of plants has been elaborated and operationalised.Therefore principles are derived from the relevant characteristics of the nature of plants at four different levels:integrity of life,planttypic integrity,genotypic integrity and phenotypic integrity.Techniques at whole plant or crop level are most in line with these principles,respecting the self-reproductive ability and the reproductive barriers.The concept of integrity of plants can also give direction to the perception of plants in the selection process by the so-called breeder ’s eye. The consequences of the ecological and ethical principles for the concepts and strategies for organic plant breeding and propagation are demonstrated for the case of spring wheat in the Netherlands,including the adaptation and application of the protocol for Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU)testing.The participation of organic farmers with their experiential knowledge and farmer ’s eye was essential in the development of the spring wheat ideotype,but can also contribute to the selection process of new varieties. The proposed organic crop ideotype and variety concept may benefit not only organic farming systems,but in future also conventional systems moving away from high inputs of nutrients and chemical pesticides

Organic plant breeding: a challenge for practice and science

This paper gives a short overview of the current practical and scientific challenges of plant breeding programmes for organic agriculture in Europe. Research is challenged to prove that organic plant breeding is more than just conventional plant breeding for another market, and to develop appro-priate concepts and strategies for improving varieties adapted to the principles and needs of organic farm-ing systems. Emphasis is on defining crop ideotypes and selection criteria, and on developing selection strategies, and on socio-economic and legal obstacles

Spring barley grain quality changes in conventional and organic growing conditions

While breeding for organic farming it is necessary to identify the most appropriate growing conditions in which to perform the selection process. Soil fertility, crop management, yield level and other factors may vary very much between each organic farm, and between organic farms and research institutions where the selection is usually performed. Since plant breeding requires considerable input of resources and the market for organic varieties is limited, it is essential to find the most appropriate selection conditions that will provide acceptable varieties for organic farms. Spring barley breeding lines selected from two cross combinations (Primus/Idumeja and Anni/Dziugiai) at two distinctive organic and two conventional locations were used in the study. The organic location 1 was situated in a research field of the plant breeding institute (with green manure as fertilizer), the organic location 2 included an organic farmer’s field (with stable manure as fertilizer), the conventional location 1 was located in a barley breeding field (with medium level of mineral fertilizer input) and the conventional location 2 in a seed production field of the institute (with high mineral fertilizer input). Selection of the breeding lines was done under the respective growing conditions starting from F3 generation. Most appropriate lines for growing in organic farming were selected at all 4 environments. Selected breeding lines were evaluated in F5 (n=20-23 per cross combination, without replications) and F6 generations (n=10 per cross combination, 3 replications). Correlations between barley traits and the environments and cross combinations will be compared in the presentation. The analysis of the correlation between grain yield and observed plant traits of F5 lines indicated that tendencies between the lines obtained from both cross combinations as well as between the environments were dissimilar in most of the cases. Soil shading (evaluated at early stem elongation stage) correlated positively with grain yield in all cases; the correlation was always significant for lines from the cross Primus/Idumeja, but only at the conventional location 2 for Anni/Dziugiai lines (p<0.05). A significant positive correlation between grain yield and plant development speed at tillering stage as well as between yield and plant height at the beginning of stem elongation was found for Primus/Idumeja lines at both organic locations and at the conventional location 1 (p<0.05). Plant height before harvest did not correlate significantly with yield under organic conditions which is in contradiction with some other studies. There was a tendency for planophyle growth habit to correlate positively with yield under organic and conventional conditions for lines from both cross combinations. The analysis of correlation of the F6 lines will be included in the presentation. This study was performed with financial support of EEA grant EEZ08AP-27and European Social Fund co-financed project 2009/0218/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/09/APIA/VIAA/099

Peenrassendemo 2009: vergelijking B-peenrassen voor de biologische teelt.

Dit rapport is van de Peenrassendemo 2009. Het is een vergelijking van de B-peenrassen voor de biologische teelt. In het project ‘Wie zaait zal oogsten’ is duidelijk geworden, dat een aantal belangrijke hoofdrassen van zaadbedrijven komen die niet biologische willen vermeerderen (o.a. Syngenta). Dit vormt een knelpunt voor voortgang van ontwikkeling richting annex. De resultaten van deze rassendemo zijn tijdens een demomiddag besproken met de telers en de zaadfirma’s met het doel om te kijken of er op korte termijn een geschikt assortiment is te realiseren, of waar er nog specifieke eisen aan deze rassen ontbreken. Met de uitkomsten kunnen zaadbedrijven gerichter werken om een adequaat en sluitend assortiment met biologisch vermeerderde peenrassen te realiseren, en daarmee de kans te vergroten om peen op de nationale annex te krijgen

Comparison of interconnections between barley breeding material traits under organic and conventional growing conditions

While breeding for organic farming it is necessary to identify the most appropriate growing conditions in which to perform the selection process. Soil fertility, crop management, yield level and other factors may vary very much between each organic farm, and between organic farms and research institutions where the selection is usually performed. Since plant breeding requires considerable input of resources and the market for organic varieties is limited, it is essential to find the most appropriate selection conditions that will provide acceptable varieties for organic farms. Spring barley breeding lines selected from two cross combinations (Primus/Idumeja and Anni/Dziugiai) at two distinctive organic and two conventional locations were used in the study. The organic location 1 was situated in a research field of the plant breeding institute (with green manure as fertilizer), the organic location 2 included an organic farmer’s field (with stable manure as fertilizer), the conventional location 1 was located in a barley breeding field (with medium level of mineral fertilizer input) and the conventional location 2 in a seed production field of the institute (with high mineral fertilizer input). Selection of the breeding lines was done under the respective growing conditions starting from F3 generation. Most appropriate lines for growing in organic farming were selected at all 4 environments. Selected breeding lines were evaluated in F5 (n=20-23 per cross combination, without replications) and F6 generations (n=10 per cross combination, 3 replications). Correlations between barley traits and the environments and cross combinations will be compared in the presentation. The analysis of the correlation between grain yield and observed plant traits of F5 lines indicated that tendencies between the lines obtained from both cross combinations as well as between the environments were dissimilar in most of the cases. Soil shading (evaluated at early stem elongation stage) correlated positively with grain yield in all cases; the correlation was always significant for lines from the cross Primus/Idumeja, but only at the conventional location 2 for Anni/Dziugiai lines (p<0.05). A significant positive correlation between grain yield and plant development speed at tillering stage as well as between yield and plant height at the beginning of stem elongation was found for Primus/Idumeja lines at both organic locations and at the conventional location 1 (p<0.05). Plant height before harvest did not correlate significantly with yield under organic conditions which is in contradiction with some other studies. There was a tendency for planophyle growth habit to correlate positively with yield under organic and conventional conditions for lines from both cross combinations. The analysis of correlation of the F6 lines will be included in the presentation. This study was performed with financial support of EEA grant EEZ08AP-27and European Social Fund co-financed project 2009/0218/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/09/APIA/VIAA/099

Werken aan diversiteit in tarwe en groenten : voor meer variatie op het veld, in het winkelschap en op het bord

Van 2014 tot 2016 heeft het Louis Bolk Instituut onderzoek gedaan naar de mogelijkheden van een breder assortiment in gewassen voor de teler (op het veld) en voor de consument (op het bord). Aanleiding voor het onderzoek is dat het aantal rassen dat aangepast is aan biologische teeltomstandigheden (rassen die dus zonder gebruik van kunstmest en bestrijdingsmiddelen kunnen) beperkt is en blijft. Veel veredelingsbedrijven kunnen vanwege de ontwikkelingskosten geen aparte rassen ontwikkelen voor een kleine markt. Meestal worden rassen uit het bestaande (gangbare) assortiment geselecteerd voor biologische vermeerdering. Bovendien zijn biologische telers en handelaren meegegaan in de huidige eisen voor hoge opbrengst en uniforme eindproducten. Het aanbieden van zaadvaste rassen in plaats van bijvoorbeeld hybride rassen is daarmee commercieel niet meteen vanzelfsprekend. Divers en Dichtbij Van 2014 tot 2016 heeft het Louis Bolk Instituut onderzoek gedaan naar de mogelijkheden van een breder assortiment in gewassen voor de teler (op het veld) en voor de consument (op het bord). Dit onderzoek is samen met Estafette Odin BV en de biologische dynamische telers GAOS in Swifterbant, De Groenen Hof in Esbeek en de Maatschap Dames en Heren Vos in Kraggenburg uitgevoerd. Het doel van dit project Divers en Dichtbij was de diversiteit op het veld en op het bord te vergroten. Daarmee bedoelen we niet alleen meer verschillende rassen, maar vooral andere type rassen of populaties die zelf meer genetische variatie bezitten. Dat kan door te kiezen voor zaadvaste rassen bij groentegewassen en populaties bij granen. Tot nu toe is populatieveredeling alleen toegepast bij granen en nog niet of nauwelijks bij groentegewassen (zie voor definities Box 1 op pagina 7). Dit betekent ook een keuze voor andere manieren van veredelen en selecteren. Aanleiding voor het onderzoek is dat het aantal rassen dat aangepast is aan biologische teeltomstandigheden (rassen die dus zonder gebruik van kunstmest en bestrijdingsmiddelen kunnen) beperkt is en blijft. Veel veredelingsbedrijven kunnen vanwege de ontwikkelingskosten geen aparte rassen ontwikkelen voor een kleine markt. Meestal worden rassen uit het bestaande (gangbare) assortiment geselecteerd voor biologische vermeerdering. Bovendien zijn biologische telers en handelaren meegegaan in de huidige eisen voor hoge opbrengst en uniforme eindproducten. Het aanbieden van zaadvaste rassen in plaats van bijvoorbeeld hybride rassen is daarmee commercieel niet meteen vanzelfsprekend. En toch heeft ons brede speurwerk in dit project wel degelijk een aantal interessante zaadvaste rassen opgeleverd! Want gelukkig zijn er in Europa en Amerika diverse biologische veredelaars actief in het veredelen van zaadvaste rassen en populaties. De informatie in deze brochure is bedoeld voor telers en andere ketenpartijen om meer te leren over de mogelijkheden van zaadvaste rassen bij groenten en populaties bij tarwe

Towards resilience through systems-based plant breeding. A review

How the growing world population can feed itself is a crucial, multi-dimensional problem that goes beyond sustainable development. Crop production will be affected by many changes in its climatic, agronomic, economic, and societal contexts. Therefore, breeders are challenged to produce cultivars that strengthen both ecological and societal resilience by striving for six international sustainability targets: food security, safety and quality; food and seed sovereignty; social justice; agrobiodiversity; ecosystem services; and climate robustness. Against this background, we review the state of the art in plant breeding by distinguishing four paradigmatic orientations that currently co-exist: community-based breeding, ecosystem-based breeding, trait-based breeding, and corporate-based breeding, analyzing differences among these orientations. Our main findings are: (1) all four orientations have significant value but none alone will achieve all six sustainability targets; (2) therefore, an overarching approach is needed: “systems-based breeding,” an orientation with the potential to synergize the strengths of the ways of thinking in the current paradigmatic orientations; (3) achieving that requires specific knowledge development and integration, a multitude of suitable breeding strategies and tools, and entrepreneurship, but also a change in attitude based on corporate responsibility, circular economy and true-cost accounting, and fair and green policies. We conclude that systems-based breeding can create strong interactions between all system components. While seeds are part of the common good and the basis of agrobiodiversity, a diversity in breeding approaches, based on different entrepreneurial approaches, can also be considered part of the required agrobiodiversity. To enable systems-based breeding to play a major role in creating sustainable agriculture, a shared sense of urgency is needed to realize the required changes in breeding approaches, institutions, regulations and protocols. Based on this concept of systems-based breeding, there are opportunities for breeders to play an active role in the development of an ecologically and societally resilient, sustainable agriculture

Factors affecting thrips resistance in cabbage

In two field experiments in the Netherlands the development of thrips populations and thrips damage in ten cabbage varieties was monitored. Also a number of morphological, physiological en biochemical plant traits were measured. The most important factors leading to a low level of thrips dam-age were a late development of a compact head, a low dry matter content and a high amount of leaf wax