Future breeding for organic and low-input agriculture: integrating values and modern breeding tools for improving robustness

Organic production and also the attention for plant breeding for organic agriculture is still increasing in Europe. The question often raised is how much does plant breeding for the organic sector differ from modern plant breeding and does a ban on GMO also include refraining from molecular marker assisted selection (MAS)? In this paper I will first elaborate on the values in organic agriculture and it related systems approach as a central focus in organic agriculture and will then discuss in which way molecular marker assisted selection can be of use for plant breeding for organic and low-input agriculture

A Collaborative Breeding Strategy for Organic Potatoes in the Netherlands

The ability of the organic farmer’s agronomic toolbox to reduce the susceptibility of a potato crop to late blight is limited, certainly under the Dutch climatic conditions. Conventional breeding programs do not generate either a sufficient number nor appropriate types of resistant varieties for organic systems; and a separate breeding program for the limited area of organic potato production is simply not viable. Therefore, all concerned forces have joined together in an umbrella program called Bioimpuls for organic potato improvement

Ethics of Plant Breeding: The IFOAM Basic Principles as a Guide for the Evolution of Organic Plant Breeding

The basic values of organic agriculture is laid down in the IFOAM four basic principles: the principle of health, the principle of ecology, the principle of fairness and the principle of care. These principles and the consequences and challenges for the further development of organic plant breeding is discussed. It is also explained why genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are banne

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

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

Enhancing Resilience Through Plant Breeding Requires an Integrated and Interdisciplinary Approach

Breeding in the organic sector is not only a technical activity improving certain desired variety traits but breeding priorities are also determined by the organizational system based on cultural values anchored in specific socio-economic and legal constructions. So, if we want to stimulate breeding for a regionally diverse assortment of varieties of crops that both enhances short-term needed productivity and long-term improved resilience within the frame of the organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care, we will need to address both the technical and organizational aspects in an integrated and interdisciplinary approach

Is co-existentie van de biologische en gangbare landbouw met genetisch gemodificeerde gewassen mogelijk?

Edith Lammerts van Bueren (Louis Bolk Instituut) gaf na een uiteenzetting van de uitgangspunten van de biologische landbouw een inleiding over de co-existentie van de biologische sector met GG-gewassen. De Commisie Co-existentie buigt zich hierover in de gewassen maïs, aardappel en suikerbiet. Men wil in een convenant duidelijke afspraken maken, maar het proces is nog (lang) niet afgeron

European perspectives of organic plant breeding and seed production in a genomics era.

For further optimisation of organic agricultural systems, more focus is required on organically produced seeds and the development of better adapted varieties. Organic plant breeding and seed production need to comply with the concept of naturalness as applied in organic agriculture, which not only includes the nonchemical and agro-ecological approaches, but also the integrity of life approach. As organic environments are less controllable and are more variable, breeding should aim at improved yield stability and product quality by being adapted to organic soil fertility as well as sustainable weed, pest and disease management. Also the ability to produce economicacceptable seed yield avoiding seed-borne diseases should be included. On the short term, organic plant production can gain better yield stability by increasing within-crop diversity by the use of mixtures of conventionally bred varieties or crop populations. Because of expected genotype by environment interaction more research is needed to define the best selection environment for selecting organic varieties. To arrive at better adapted varieties for organic farming systems the role of practical participatory plant breeding may be crucial. Although organic farming is clear on excluding the use of genetically modified organisms and their derivates, the use of molecular markers is still under debate. Questions arise with respect to their efficiency in selecting the most important organic traits, such as yield stability, and on the compounds and substances to produce and apply them. A major concern for a GM-free organic agriculture is an increasing contamination with genetically modified organisms in organic production and products, i.e., the problems related to co-existence of GM and non- GM agriculture. This paper discusses some important factors with regard to possible impact of co-existence on organic farming. Perspectives to a global scale of organic plant breeding and seed production are given from a European point of view

The prevention of potato volunteers in organic farming systems by using pigs.

In organic agriculture potato volunteers, presenting an important primary inoculum source for late Blight (Phytophthora infestans), are controlled by mechanical meth-ods. These may be partly replaced by ‘foraging’ livestock animals, such as cattle, sheep, horses, ponies or pigs. Most animals eat only the remaining potatoes on the field surface; however, pigs also dig up potatoes. This paper reports on two experi-ments with pigs (sows or finishing pigs), which appear to be very effective in digging up potatoes that are left in the field after the potato harvest within a reasonable time period. However, the workload for the farmer, problems with animal health and meat quality and possible damage to the soil structure seriously limit the applicability of pigs for the control of potato volunteers. Aspects of animal health, animal nutrition and environmental aspects (nutrient excretion) are discussed

Searching for crop characteristics correlated with nitrogen efficiency in potato

Breeders lack knowledge about genetic variation in nitrogen response of potato under low-input conditions and about relevant crop traits associated with variation in nitrogen efficiency. Can the parameters of the ground cover curve be used as selection criteria for nitrogen efficiency in potato