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

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

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

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.</p

Postgraduate course (‘Train-the trainers’) - Participatory Plant Breeding & Resilient Seed Systems: Options for Stakeholder Engagement and Benefit Sharing

Scope of the course: Resilient seed systems play a central role in sustainable food systems that are robust, dynamic, equitable, diverse, healthy and interconnected. Developing and strengthening these systems offers vital entry points for responding to critical global challenges of climate change, agricultural biodiversity, and sustainable development. Training in participatory breeding and seed system concepts, issues and approaches will support engaged professionals and graduate students to contribute to resilient seed system development. In the Shared Action Framework for Resilient Seed Systems of the Global Alliance of the Future of Food it defined as one the most important actions needed (https://futureoffood.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Resilient-Seed-Systems-Shared-Action-Framework-English.pdf). This course serves professionals who seek longer-term solutions for sustainable, agro-ecological agriculture and answers to the question: How can food systems be moved forward in the South and the North? Key aspects of this course include: - Concepts, strategies, methods and experiences with decentralised and participatory approaches to plant breeding and seed system development to increase agrobiodiversity and cope with climate changes - Governance issues such as seed quality control, property rights, co-ownership and benefit sharing - Specific approaches for different crop types and socio-economic contexts - Multi-actor approaches, collaborative learning, knowledge sharing and networking approaches to engage food system and value chain actors into participatory plant breeding and resilient seed system programs - The interaction of technical solutions and social choices: considering trade-offs and issues of inclusion/social equity and other value