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Chances and potentials of various plant breeding techniques for organic farming

Abstract

For sustainable production of food derived cultivars as well as management methods need to be optimized for organic farming conditions. Specific breeding programs for organic agriculture are essential to increase efficiency and yield stability of organic food production. The increase of GM cultivars and also the fast concentration process of international seed companies coupled with patenting in the last decades threatens the availability of genetic resources. In a brochure different breeding techniques and methodologies are described including traditional methods (e.g., emasculation, crossings, inbreeding, backcross breeding, induced mutations, vegetative propagation), newer methods (e.g., in vitro selection, doubled haploids, marker assisted selection) and cutting edge technologies (e.g., cisgenetics, RNAi, Tilling, Zink finger nucleasis). Based on this information an expert workshop was conducted and resulted in a position paper on organic plant breeding. In this position paper the criteria for evaluation of breeding techniques are defined.

Financing/ Donor
  • Mahle Stiftung Deutschland
(Research) Program
  • Foundation Mercator Switzerland – Organic agriculture and food
Project partners
  • FiBL Germany
FiBL project leader/ contact
FiBL project staff (people who are not linked are former FiBL employees)
Role of FiBL

Project lead and implementation

FiBL project number 10039
Date modified 12.11.2019
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