In this paper the current situation in plant breeding, variety testing for organic agriculture and organic seed production in the Baltic States, tasks for future are described

BELICKA, Ina

BLEIDERE, Mara

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Organic plant breeding and seed production in Baltic States: developments and challengesI. Belicka, M. BleidereAbstract  -  In  this  paper  the  current  situation  in  plant breeding,  variety  testing  for  organic  agriculture  and organic  seed  production  in  the  Baltic  States,  tasks  for future are described.  INTRODUCTIONIn  order  to  provide  successful  implementation  of  EU regulations  2092/91,  1257/1999  and  1452/2003 regarding organic agriculture in the new Baltic Member States  (Estonia,  Latvia,  Lithuania)  the  project “Environmental  friendly  food  production  system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production” (ENVIRFOOD)  was  realized.  During  the  four-day seminar the Baltic States’ plant breeders, specialists of variety testing and seed producers met with experts in organic  plant  breeding  and  seed  production  from Denmark,  Germany  and  the  Netherlands.  In  lectures and  round-table  discussions  they  exchanged knowledge  about  conventional  and  organic  plant breeding,  variety  tests,  seed  production  and  food processing.  Better  acquaintance  with  European experience,  exchange  of  national  results  and achievements  help  to  develop  scientific  concepts  for breeding and seed  production for organic agriculture. Observation  of  the  current  situation  and  problems  in the plant breeding, variety testing for organic farming and organic seed production in the each Baltic State is published  in  the  Proceeding  of   the  Seminar  –“Environmental  friendly  food  production  system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production” (ENVIRFOOD)  and  disseminated  (available  on  the website:http://www.orgprints.org/5190/01/ENVIRFOOD_2005.pdf).  Compiled information about problems and prospects in future for development of organic plant breeding and organic seed production seed is reflected. PLANT BREEDING FOR ORGANIC FARMINGCurrent situationOrganic farming has shown increasing popularity in the Baltic States during recent years. In 2004 area under organic  cultivation  took 46000  ha  (5.5%)  in  Estonia (Tamm, 2005), 43902 ha (1.8%) in Latvia and 42961 ha in Lithuania (Leistrumaite, 2005). According to the long-term  national  agricultural development strategy, the  area  under  organic  farming  should  account  for about  15%  of  the  total  cultivated  area  by  the  year 2015 in the Baltic States. Due to this, the question of the kind  of  varieties organic farmers  should  be using becomes  increasingly  important.  At  present  time organic  farmers  are  using  varieties  bred  out  for conventional  agriculture.  A  number  of  varieties  of cereals,  pea,  winter  rape,  potatoes  have  been recommended for organic farmers.1                                                Belicka I and Bleidere M. Authors are of State Stende PLant Breeding station, p.o. Dizstende, Talsi district, LV-3258, Latvia (stende.selekcija@apollo.lv) These  varieties  are  on  the  National  List  of Recommended Varieties. Are the varieties used in conventional agriculture also suitable for use in organic management? What kind of specific  traits  should  varieties  used  in  organic agriculture  have?  The  suitability  of  existing conventionally  bred  varieties  for  organic  agriculture can  be  evaluated  reliably  only  under  organic conditions. First  varieties  adapted  to  organic  farmers  should  be selected  much  earlier  since  farmers  cannot  afford  to wait  for  10  or  more  years.  By  the  opinion  of  plant breeders  the  breeding  of  field  crops  is necessary  for organic farming in the Baltic  States. Organic  farming systems  should  be  supplied  with  varieties  better adapted for the new conditions that  arise  due to  the new  approach  to  plant  management.  This  includes  a greater  need  for  varieties  contributing  higher  yield stability,  competitiveness  against  weeds;  nutrient efficiency and tolerance to diseases are in the choice of variety of much  higher importance than in traditional farming  (Ruzgas,  2005;  Skrabule,  2005;  Tamm, 2005).  Nevertheless  the  possible  amounts  of  organic breeding  will  be  limited  due  to  the  little  share  of organic farming in total agriculture. How great is investment of the Baltic State breedersin undertaking breeding for organic farming? By the inquiry Latvian plant breeders have acquainted themselves  or  started  acquainting  themselves  with scientific  literature,  have  taken  part  in  scientific conferences,  workshops  and  other  international activities  connected  with  organic  farming.    Mainly breeders  have  been  involved  in  testing  crop  variety suitability  for  organic  farming.  Breeding  material assessment  according  evaluated  selection  criteria  are dependent  only  on  breeder’s  own  initiative  and enthusiasm yet (Skrabule, 2005). Similar situation is in the  Estonia  and  the  Lithuania.  Latvian  field  crop breeders  are  able  to  begin  breeding  of  several  crops for organic farming. Some contribution has been done in  this  direction.  Latvian  Council  of  Science  hasaccepted for years 2006-2010 new project: “Creating of well adapted crop varieties by using traditional and biotechnological methods for conventional and organic farming”.In the next futureTo  satisfy  better  the  needs  of  organic  farmers  for adapted varieties the following will be planned: testing the local and  listed varieties under organic conditions, starting limited breeding programs for organic farming with selection of promising lines and breeding numbers from  exiting  germplasm,  starting  limited  breeding programs for organic farming and development of new lines  from  special  crosses  (Ruzgas,2005;  Tamm, 2005).    Scientific  program  for  collaboration  between the  Baltic  States  include:  exchange  of  the  genetic material that is especially adapted to organic/low-input agriculture,  developing  breeding  procedures  for organic  farming,  standardization  of  the  market  sets and exploration of traits important for organic farming, organization of annual international seminar and field meeting of field crop breeders of the Baltic States with the  main  aim  to  exchange  with  information,  discuss and analyze the joint work regarding to organic plant breeding. The  start  of  breeding  programs for organic farming in the  Baltic States  depends a lot on finding necessary  financing.  The  recommendations  for  the selection of varieties to organic farmers on the basis of conventional trials could only be an initial solution.Variety testing for organic farmingTesting  of  new  varieties  and  registration  for  organic farming system from the legislation point of view is the same  as  that  for  varieties  recommended  for conventional  production.  Methods  of  variety assessment  used  in  conventional  agriculture  are currently  exploited  for  comparison.  In  Latvia  testing varieties for suitability to organic has been started in 2004.  Testing  has  been  done  at  four  test  sites  on certified organic crop rotation fields. Eighteen varieties of  four  crops:  oat,  spring  barley,  spring  turnips  and potatoes were tested for yield,  maturity,  lodging and disease resistance, and quality (Kalinina et al., 2005). Estonia  doesn’t  have  organic  VCU  trials  and  the present VCU procedure does not allow the introduction of varieties suitable for organic farming. It is necessary to  organize  one  organic  VCU  trial  site.  Estonian Agricultural  University  and  Centre  of  Ecological Engineering  have  conducted variety  research  under organic  farming  conditions (Lauk,  Loper,  2005).  In Lithuania  the  first  variety  testing  for  organic  farming was  conducted  during  the  1997-1999  period  at  the Lithuanian  Institute  of  Agriculture.  In  2004, 18 varieties of winter wheat cereals were assessed under organic  farming  conditions;  some  varieties  were distinguished  as  possessing  important  and  valuable traits for practical use in organic farming (Leistrumaite,2005). Lithuanian State Plant Varieties Testing Centre is carrying out investigations within 9 field crops underconditions  of  organic  farming  at 8  sites.    Based  on tests results varieties are included in the List of Plant Varieties  for  use  in  organic  farming  (Juciviene, Almantas,  2005). Main  tasks in future:  organic  VCU tests must be carried out in the certified organic field, supplement  present  VCU  varieties  testing  protocols with  the traits  significant  for organic agriculture,  and promote  the  collaboration  between  official  State Variety Testing institutions of the Baltic States.ORGANIC SEED PRODUCTIONThe organic seed production in the Baltic States is nowin  the  stage  of  development.  There  is  needed  a dialogue  between  producers  and  seed  industry. Unfortunately only small amount of information about seed  supply  is  available  in  databases  of  the  Baltic States now. Current situation in seed market indicates that even in January 1, 2006, organic seed supply will be insufficient. One of the main reasons of the lack of organic  seed  demand  in  the  Baltic  States  is  that organic farmers have insufficient education in terms of seed quality importance. The second reason of the lack of demands is that organic farmers are short in funds and  cannot  buy  double  certified  organic  seed.  State granted support is needed as the seed production is a resource-demanding  branch  (Aavola,  Bender,  2005; Gaile, Evelone, 2005). CONLUSIONIt is  necessary to develop  plant breeding and variety testing for organic agriculture. Organic seed production must be put into practice.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTEC is acknowledged for financing Project FP-2003-SSA-1-007003.REFERENCESAavola R. and Bender A. (2005).  In: “Proceedings of the  seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production system:  requirements  for  plant  breeding  and  seed production”, pp. 81-86, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Juciviene S. and Almantas G. (2005). In: “Proceedings of the seminar-Environmental friendly food production system:  requirements  for  plant  breeding  and  seed production”, pp. 73-75, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Gaile Z. and Evelone V. 2005). In: “Proceedings of the seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production system:  requirements  for  plant  breeding  and  seed production”, pp. 76-80, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Lauk  T. and  Loper I. (2005). In:  “Proceedings of the seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production system:  requirements  for  plant  breeding  and  seed production”, pp. 71-73, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Kalinina S., Jegorova V.and Katanenko S. (2005). In: “Proceedings  of  the  seminar-Environmental  friendly food  production  system:  requirements  for  plant breeding  and  seed  production”,  pp.66-71,  eds.  I.Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Leistrumaite  A.  (2005). In:  “Proceedings  of  the seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production system:  requirements  for  plant  breeding  and  seed production”,  pp.  103-108, eds  I. Belicka  and  M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Ruzgas  V.  (2005). In:  “Proceedings  of  the  seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production  system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production”,pp. 63-65, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Skrabule I.  (2005).  In:  “Proceedings  of  the seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production  system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production”,pp. 54-58, eds I. Belicka and M. Viklante (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).Tamm  I.  (2005). In: “Proceedings  of  the  seminar-Environmental  friendly  food  production  system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production”, pp.    58-63,  eds.  I. Belicka  and  M.  Viklante  (State Stende Plant Breeding Station: Latvia).

Organic plant breeding and seed production in Baltic States: developments and challenges

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