Plant Breeding

Plant breeding makes an essential contribution to the ecological intensification of organic farming and to climate change adaptation.

Important target traits in organic farming include yield stability, efficient use of water and nutrients, competitive ability towards weeds, pest and disease tolerance as well as tolerance of variable environmental factors.

The concept of organic breeding is based on strengthening the resilience of the system as a whole. The focus of the Plant Breeding team at FiBL Switzerland is therefore on breeding varieties in and for complex organic systems as driver of functional agrobiodiversity in farming systems.

In addition to the main crop species, for which breeding work is also being conducted by commercial operators, the group’s breeding work focuses on neglected crop species, especially grain legumes that produce high-quality protein for food and feed, and contribute to sustainable cropping systems by biological nitrogen fixation.

Main areas of work:

• Scientific, methodical and organisational support on breeding and seed production for organic breeders
• Awareness raising about the importance of organic breeding among food processors, traders and consumers
• Breeding research of traits that are especially important in organic farming (seed - and soil-borne diseases)
• Research in breeding for mixed cropping systems (pea - barley)
• Basic research in breeding for beneficial plant-microbe interactions (pea - soil fatigue)
• Pre-breeding of neglected legume crops for new value chains (white lupin)
• Cultivar testing under organic conditions
• Support for market introduction of varieties adapted for cultivation in organic farming
• Participatory breeding and cultivar evaluation (participatory cotton breeding in India)
• Promotion of seed sovereignty (supporting farmer seeds systems of neglected crop species for healthier diets in Africa and India)

Further information

Plant breeding

Contact

Monika Messmer