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

Ganhos genéticos para caracteres de raiz em populações de cenoura nos sistemas orgânico e convencional de produção

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar os ganhos genéticos para caracteres de raiz em populações de cenoura cultivadas nos sistemas orgânico e convencional. Os experimentos foram conduzidos na Embrapa Hortaliças, Brasília (DF). Duas populações de cenoura derivadas da cultivar Brasília e de origem comum até 2002, foram subdivididas em duas populações, avaliadas e selecionadas, por oito gerações consecutivas, nos verões de 2000 a 2007. Em 2008, amostras de sementes das populações, provenientes de cada ciclo de seleção, foram semeadas em campo e conduzidas sob manejo orgânico e convencional de produção, em delineamento de blocos casualizados com nove tratamentos, quatro repetições e parcelas de 1 m². Aos 90 dias após a semeadura, 20 raízes por parcela foram colhidas para a avaliação dos caracteres comprimento, diâmetro do xilema e do floema; comprimento da extensão do ombro verde; massa fresca; presença de halo; formato de ponta e de ombro e coloração do xilema e floema. Foi realizada análise de variância com determinação da interação entre tratamentos e sistemas de produção, agrupamento de médias entre os tratamentos, e calculados os ganhos reais com a seleção. Pôde-se verificar que nos oito anos de seleção não houve ganhos significativos para os caracteres estudados nas duas populações. Com isso, conclui-se que os caracteres avaliados já se encontram fixados nas duas populações estudadas. Verificou-se que a seleção não precisa ser realizada nos dois sistemas de cultivo, orgânico e convencional, possibilitando diminuição de recursos financeiros e de mão-de-obra empregados no melhoramento.The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic gain with the selection of root characters of carrot populations cultivated in organic and conventional production systems. The experiments were carried out at Embrapa Hortaliças, Brasília, Brazil. Two carrot populations derived from Brasília cultivar and with common origin until 2002, were separate in two populations and evaluated for eight generations during 2000 to 2007. In 2008, seed samples of the population in each cycle of selection were sowed in the field in both organic and conventional production systems, in a randomized blocks design with four replications of nine treatments and plots of 1 m². After 90 days of sowing, 20 roots per plot were harvested for the evaluation of the length, xylem and phloem diameter, green shoulder length, fresh mass, presence of halo, tip and shoulder format, and the color parameters of xylem and phloem. Variance analysis was carried out to determine the interaction between treatments and production systems, grouping of means among treatments, and the real gain with the selection was estimated. In the last eight years of selection, a significant gain was not observed on the studied characters in the two populations. So we concluded that those traits are already quite developed and stabilized in both populations. The selection doesn't need to be accomplished in both areas of organic and conventional cultivation, making possible the decrease of financial and labor resources utilized in the breeding

Does the Seed Sector Offer Meet the Needs of Organic Cropping Diversity? Challenges for Organic Crop Varieties

This chapter aims to study the current balance between the offer and demand of the organic seed sector and how the breeding system can be adapted to the diversity of needs. The offer is assessed by the evolution, over time, of the number and types of species and varieties registered in the French and European catalogues. This number has greatly increased, but some species remain or become orphans. There is an increasing number of varieties listed for the major crops, whereas the choice concerning organic seed varieties is severely limited. Moreover, the standardised varieties listed in the catalogue are currently in dispute because of the new diversification of cropping systems, outlets and social organisation. Do we need to change ideotypes, breeding methods, breeding criteria and evaluating methods? In other words, do we need to reform the seed system or to adapt it to this new diversity? The diversity of organic seed variety requirements is represented by four models: Label, Brand, Autonomy and Empowerment. Each model requires a specific breeding scheme and relevant breeding actors. These different ways to look at new varieties and plant breeding must not exclude each other but must be considered as complementary and capable of renewing ways to implement plant improvements for agriculture. In such a context, there is a need for new references to evaluate and register varieties (new criteria, new protocols, changes in legislation, etc.)

MyersJamesHorticultureVariationBroccoliCultivar.pdf

Organic agriculture requires cultivars that can adapt to organic crop management systems without the use of synthetic pesticides as well as genotypes with improved nutritional value. The aim of this study encompassing 16 experiments was to compare 23 broccoli cultivars for the content of phytochemicals associated with health promotion grown under organic and conventional management in spring and fall plantings in two broccoli growing regions in the US (Oregon and Maine). The phytochemicals quantified included: glucosinolates (glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, neoglucobrassin), tocopherols (δ-, γ-, α-tocopherol) and carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene). For glucoraphanin (17.5%) and lutein (13%), genotype was the major source of total variation; for glucobrassicin, region (36%) and the interaction of location and season (27.5%); and for neoglucobrassicin, both genotype (36.8%) and its interactions (34.4%) with season were important. For δ- and γ-tocopherols, season played the largest role in the total variation followed by location and genotype; for total carotenoids, genotype (8.41–13.03%) was the largest source of variation and its interactions with location and season. Overall, phytochemicals were not significantly influenced by management system. We observed that the cultivars with the highest concentrations of glucoraphanin had the lowest for glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. The genotypes with high concentrations of glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin were the same cultivars and were early maturing F₁ hybrids. Cultivars highest in tocopherols and carotenoids were open pollinated or early maturing F₁ hybrids. We identified distinct locations and seasons where phytochemical performance was higher for each compound. Correlations among horticulture traits and phytochemicals demonstrated that glucoraphanin was negatively correlated with the carotenoids and the carotenoids were correlated with one another. Little or no association between phytochemical concentration and date of cultivar release was observed, suggesting that modern breeding has not negatively influenced the level of tested compounds. We found no significant differences among cultivars from different seed companies

MyersJamesHorticultureVariationBroccoliCultivar_SupportingInformation.zip

Organic agriculture requires cultivars that can adapt to organic crop management systems without the use of synthetic pesticides as well as genotypes with improved nutritional value. The aim of this study encompassing 16 experiments was to compare 23 broccoli cultivars for the content of phytochemicals associated with health promotion grown under organic and conventional management in spring and fall plantings in two broccoli growing regions in the US (Oregon and Maine). The phytochemicals quantified included: glucosinolates (glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, neoglucobrassin), tocopherols (δ-, γ-, α-tocopherol) and carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene). For glucoraphanin (17.5%) and lutein (13%), genotype was the major source of total variation; for glucobrassicin, region (36%) and the interaction of location and season (27.5%); and for neoglucobrassicin, both genotype (36.8%) and its interactions (34.4%) with season were important. For δ- and γ-tocopherols, season played the largest role in the total variation followed by location and genotype; for total carotenoids, genotype (8.41–13.03%) was the largest source of variation and its interactions with location and season. Overall, phytochemicals were not significantly influenced by management system. We observed that the cultivars with the highest concentrations of glucoraphanin had the lowest for glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. The genotypes with high concentrations of glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin were the same cultivars and were early maturing F₁ hybrids. Cultivars highest in tocopherols and carotenoids were open pollinated or early maturing F₁ hybrids. We identified distinct locations and seasons where phytochemical performance was higher for each compound. Correlations among horticulture traits and phytochemicals demonstrated that glucoraphanin was negatively correlated with the carotenoids and the carotenoids were correlated with one another. Little or no association between phytochemical concentration and date of cultivar release was observed, suggesting that modern breeding has not negatively influenced the level of tested compounds. We found no significant differences among cultivars from different seed companies