Ecobreed

The aim of the EU H2020-funded ECOBREED project, which ran from April 2018 to February 2024, was to improve the availability of seeds and varieties suitable for organic and low-input production. The activities focused on four crop species, which were selected for their potential contribution to increasing the competitiveness of the organic sector: common wheat, potato, soybean and buckwheat.

ECOBREED has developed organic breeding methods, strategies and infrastructure; varieties of all four crops with improved stress resistance, resource use efficiency and quality; and improved methods for producing high quality organic seed.

ECOBREED increased the knowledge base for breeding, selecting and improving varieties for organic and low-input production. It has also improved access to a wider pool of quality seeds, varieties and cultivars for organic production. Through the provision of detailed training programmes, it has also significantly contributed to improving the efficiency of seed multiplication and breeding methods for the organic sector.

The project is actively exploiting its results and we are pleased to present the ECOBREED Key Exploitable Results (KERs):

• KER 1: Registered Trademark “ecobreed IMPROVING CROPS”
• KER 2: New organic variety of wheat
• KER 3: New organic variety of potato
• KER 4: New organic variety of soybean
• KER 5: New organic variety of buckwheat

If you have any questions or would like to receive more detailed information on the Key Exploitable Results, please do not hesitate to contact us:

• ECOBREED Project Coordinator: Vladimir Meglic, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia: vladimir.meglic@kis.si
• KER1 contact: Antoaneta G. Kuhar, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia: antoaneta.kuhar@kis.si
• KER2 contact: Heinrich Grausgruber, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria: heinrich.grausgruber@boku.ac.at
• KER3 contact: Peter Dolničar, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia: peter.dolnicar@kis.si
• KER4 contact: Vuk Djordjević, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia: vuk.djordjevic@ifvcns.ns.ac.rs
• KER5 contact: Dagmar Janovska, Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic: janovska@vurv.cz

KIS presented its potato varieties KIS Blegoš and KIS Tamar at the Spring Agricultural Fair in Komenda, central Slovenia, on 22 and 24 March 2024. Both varieties were developed as part of the ECOBREED project and are suitable for organic farming.

KIS Blegoš is an early, yellow-fleshed, yellow-skinned, multipurpose potato variety of excellent quality for cooking, baking, frying and crisping. It is extremely resistant to potato virus Y, has a long dormancy period and can be stored until late spring.

KIS Tamar is a late variety with light yellow flesh and yellow peel of excellent quality for cooking and baking, with high resistance to potato virus Y, stress tolerance, long dormancy and storage until late spring.

Both were presented to visitors and buyers at the fair under the ECOBREED – Improving Crops trademark. The fair had more than 500 exhibitors and attracted more than 50,000 visitors. The annual Komenda fair is an excellent opportunity to make new business contacts, exchange ideas and forge new partnerships.

Our partner IFVC from Serbia has achieved a significant milestone within the ECOBREED project as they succesfully registered a new variety NS ECOB. The variety underwent registration trials to evaluate its performance and adaptability. NS ECOB is a high-protein variety with a  short growing season specifically selected for organic and low-input production systems. The variety was also featured in an article in a local Serbian newspaper, where it even made it to the front page of the printed version.

The ECOBREED Organic Breeding Conference is just around the corner!

The conference will take place from Wednesday 17 January to Friday 19 January 2024 in the Glass Hall of the Grand Hotel Union in Ljubljana.

The final programme with all speakers can be found here.

The conference will host several renowned specialists in organic farming like Dr Salvatore Ceccarelli, independent consultant on organic production, Dr Micaela Colley from the US Organic Seed Alliance, Dr Hubert Kempf from SECOBRA, Germany, Mr Klemens Mechtler from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Ms. Freya Schäfer from the German Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and Dr Michael Schneider from the Swiss Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

On Wednesday, 17 January 2024, the introduction to the conference and the round table on Organic Breeding, Varieties, (O)HM and Seed Availability will also be broadcast remotely on YouTube.

We are inviting you to the ECOBREED Organic Breeding Conference, which will take place in Grand Hotel Union Eurostars in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 17 to 19 January 2024. The conference will be dedicated to the further development of organic plant breeding and will present the results of the ECOBREED project. Discover the latest developments, challenges and breakthroughs in organic plant breeding in exciting sessions led by experts in the field and gain insights from thought leaders who are shaping the future of organic breeding.

Please register here to secure your place. Early registration is recommended to guarantee your participation. The registration deadline and deadline for abstract submission is 22 December 2023.

More information about the conference can be found here.

ECOBREED partner Naturland is organising the Agricultural Conference in Würzburg, Bavaria in Germany. The conference will be held between 24 and 25 January 2024. At the conference, Werner Vogt-Kaute from NATUR and Adam Brezani from PRO-BIO will have presentations about ECOBREED results in Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The programme and registration link are available in the link below.

• INVITATION

The Austrian Seed Association in cooperation with BOKU and HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein and co-hosted by ECOBREED invite you to participate at the 74^th Plant Breeder’s Meeting between 20 and 22 November 2023 in Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Austria. The title of this year’s meeting is “New sensing technology for affordable phenotyping in plant breeding“.

ECOBREED will again be one of the main topics at the conference and our partners will present the latest reseach results on topics related to improvements in wheat, potato, soybean and buckwheat for organic farming.

More information about the meeting can be found here.

Registration: http://www.saatgut-austria.at/page.asp/-/Anmeldung

It is with excitement that we share that the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development extended an invitation to the ECOBREED project coordinator Dr Vladimir Meglič. He presented the ECOBREED project results and shared valuable insights, opportunities, and recommendations for organic farming and organic breeding at the Civil Dialogue Group on Organic Farming online meeting on 24 October 2023. With a focus on solutions to empower organic farmers, this meeting promises to pave the way for a more sustainable agricultural future.

Our partners PRO-BIO and NPPC participated in the “Days of Organic Farming” conference in Bojnice, Slovakia, on 26 September 2023. Miroslava Fusková from NPPC gave a presentation on the importance of organic breeding and the results of ECOBREED. Her colleague Soňa Gavurníková presented qualitative indicators of wheat varieties in the ECOBREED project. At the end of the day, Adam Brezáni from PRO-BIO presented practical recommendations for buckwheat cultivation in organic farming in the framework of ECOBREED.

The research activities of the ECOBREED project are coming to an end. Within the work package dealing with buckwheat research, we have made great progress over the last five years, especially in the characterisation and functionality of individual traits in the global collection of buckwheat genetic resources.

Our results have recently been published in two original scientific papers in high-impact journals and one monographic publication.

In ECOBREED: Diversity of buckwheat genetic resources (Fagopyrum spp.), the predefined descriptors (IPGRI, UPOV) and photographic material for Fagopyrum sp. of a total of 239 buckwheat genetic resources are characterised and described for the first time. The book is aimed at a wide range of interested readers, from farmers and students to breeders and researchers, who can familiarise themselves with the collected heritage of buckwheat, preserved in European gene banks for future generations. The material contained in the publication was the basis for our further work.

In the original scientific article in Plants we compared genetic sources with parameters of phenotypic and genetic variability, presented their genetic structure and relatedness, established core collections of both species and identified trait-associated markers. It is the first such comprehensive simultaneous morphological and molecular characterisation and comparison of global buckwheat germplasm.

Together with colleagues from China and Slovenian and European scientists working on the genome, transcriptome and metabolome of buckwheat, we have published a study in one of the world’s leading journals of plant molecular biology, namely Molecular Plant, using comparative and population genomic approaches to uncover key determinants of the synthesis of specific metabolites and fertility of common buckwheat. Population and evolutionary genomics reveal genetic variations associated with environmental adaptability and flower development between Chinese and non-Chinese cultivars. The results shed light on the genetic basis of buckwheat’s speciation, ecological adaptation, fertility and unique flavour, and provide new resources for future genomics-assisted breeding of this economically important crop.

KIS potato researchers attended the European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) Pathology & Pest Section meeting in Arras, France, from 3 to 6 September. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to bring researchers, students and companies together to discuss all pathological and entomological aspects of potato production. Primož Žigon from the Plant Protection Department at KIS presented the results of the ECOBREED potato research team, which has tested different bioinsecticides to control the Colorado potato beetle.

Our partners from BOKU and NARDI attended the XIV International Gluten Workshop held in Madrid, Spain from 19 to 21 June 2023. This event brings together experts and researchers to discuss advancements in gluten-related studies.

Prof Heinrich Grausgruber (BOKU) acted as chair for the session on genetics and breeding for wheat processing and nutritional quality improvement. He also had a lecture about breeding wheat for organic farming and the need for other varieties with respect to end-use quality, featuring results from ECOBREED.

Dr Cristina-Mihaela Marinciu (NARDI) also contributed to the workshop with her poster presentation titled “Rheological behaviour of a set of winter wheat cultivars, tested in organic conditions at Nardi Fundulea, Romania”. The presentation featured quality data obtained through the ECOBREED project.

During the National Field Days in Oponice, NPPC organised a demonstration event on the selection and quality of organic wheat varieties evaluated under the ECOBREED project. The event featured numerous presentations and discussions on topics such as: biodynamic and organic farming, training in organic farming and quality of wheat varieties for organic farming. At the 24 presentation plots of the NPPC visitors could see crop demonstrations and researchers presented their bred crop varieties, their research activities and the special topic “Increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of breeding varieties for organic farming”. Many thanks to all who participated in the event!

 NPPC počas Celoslovenských dní poľa v Oponiciach usporiadala demonštračné podujatie o výbere odrôd pšenice a o kvalite odrôd pšeníc v ekologickom systéme hospodárenia hodnotené v projekte ECOBREED. Podujatie ponúklo množstvo prezentácií a diskusií na témy ako: biodynamické a ekologické poľnohospodárstvo, vzdelávanie v ekologickom poľnohospodárstve, kvality odrôd pšenice pre ekologické poľnohospodárstvo. Na 24 prezentačných parcelkách NPPC si návštevníci mohli ukážky plodín a výskumníci prezentovali svoje vyšľachtené odrody plodín, výskumnú činnosť a špeciálne téme „ Zvýšenie efektívnosti a konkurencie schopnosti šľachtenia odrôd pre ekologické poľnohospodárstvo“. Ďakujeme návštevníkom za účasť!

We are very pleased with the success of ECOBREED’s recent workshops on advanced genotyping and phenotyping at the 11th World Soybean Research Conference (WSRC11) in Vienna. The workshops met with an overwhelming response from participants and earned positive feedback. The interactive sessions, problem-solving activities and collaborative group work made the workshops both useful and informative for all participants.

Participants rated that the workshops were carefully designed to provide in-depth knowledge and insights into advanced genotyping and phenotyping techniques. The interactive component of the workshops was particularly appreciated by the participants. Problem-solving exercises and group work not only facilitated a deeper understanding of the concepts, but also encouraged collaboration and knowledge sharing among the attendees.

The ECOBREED workshops on advanced genotyping and phenotyping at WSRC11 were an undeniable success. We extend our sincere thanks to all the participants, presenters, the WSRC11 organisers and the ECOBREED teams from IFVC and KIS for their contributions to the workshops.

Our partners from the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute Fundulea (Victor Petrcu et al.) have published an article on article “Early Sowing on Some Soybean Genotypes under Organic Farming Conditions” in the journal Plants as part of the Special Issue Breeding and Cultivation Management of Legumes.

The demand for soybeans in Europe motivates breeders, researchers and growers to find suitable cultivars to adapt and extend soybeans to unsuitable climate areas. For this, weed control is a crucial aspect of technology in organic agriculture. NARDI made a field experiment with 14 soybean accessions and 2 sowing dates under organic farming conditions over the course of three years. The results show that early sowing strategy for soybeans in non-irrigated conditions in a temperate continental area proved to be a risky practice.

The article is available online:

Website: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/12/2295

PDF Version: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/12/2295/pdf

Special Issue: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants/special_issues/SI_Legumes

ECOBREED partners ATK, BOKU, IFVC, NARDI, NPPC, RGA, SECOBRA, SELGEN and UNITUS participated in the EUCARPIA Cereal Section Conference 2023, which took place in Szeged, Hungary, from 15 to 20 May 2023. This year’s title was Cereal Breeding – Challenges and Opportunities for Global Improvement. The conference was attended by 226 participants from 23 countries.

UNITUS presented the selection of suitable durum wheat accessions for organic farming with high grain quality, production, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The study allowed them to identify seven accessions suitable for organic agriculture with wide adaptation to different environmental conditions.

SELGEN presented the results of the baking quality in set of selected wheat varieties within the project from experiments managed under organic conditions.

ATK, BOKU, and UNITUS presented the results of multi-year durum wheat variety tests carried out in different management systems. The objective of this study was to identify phenotypic parameters and yield components of durum wheat varieties of different geographic origin under Hungarian organic and conventional management in three growing seasons.

BOKU, SECOBRA, NARDI, NPPC, IFVC, ATK, RGA and SELGEN presented lessons learned from the ECOBREED project regarding breeding wheat for organic farming. Within the project, organic multi-environment trials (METs) with two winter wheat diversity panels (i.e. early and late maturity) were carried out from 2020-2022 in seven European countries.  The METs revealed an extremely high variability in grain yield caused by severe drought in some environments and by a significant legacy effect of previous mineral fertilization in one test site. Essential for organic wheat breeding seems to be resistance against common bunt as severe infection levels were observed.

ATK reported on Hungarian participatory organic wheat breeding programs as they sent their organic-suited winter wheat varieties and two populations to organic farmers to start participatory testing and breeding on their farms.

More information on the presented studies can be found here.

One of our focuses in ECOBREED is the development of organic varieties and breeding material with improved stress and disease resistance, resource efficiency and quality. Varieties and candidate varieties are tested and evaluated together with farmers under organic conditions. Our partner Secobra Saatzucht GmbH is working to improve the availability of varieties and seeds for organic farming.

The varieties resulting from the project will be promoted under the trademark “ecobreed IMPROVING CROPS” and made recognizable to farmers.

More about Secobra and ECOBREED in this article in TopAgrar.

Our partner NPPC, in cooperation with EKOTREND Slovakia – Association of Organic Agriculture, organized the ECOBREED Conference “Organic agriculture production- a challenge for the Slovak countryside” on 18 and 19 October 2022 in Liptovská Teplička in Slovakia.

They encouraged farmers interested and active in organic farming to join the two-day event to discuss and learn about the potentials of organic plant breeding. The event brought together diverse backgrounds, from farmers to scientists, and open discussion on topics related to organic farming. Together there were 54 participants at the conference.

The ECOBREED coordinator and the project manager attended the Organic Seed Policy Conference “Market and policy development of the organic seed sector in Croatia and at EU level” on Tuesday, 18 October 2022 in Zagreb, Croatia. The conference was organised within the new Horizon Europe project LIVESEEDING and was attended by important representatives of the EU commission, Croatian policy makers, and experts from various European organisations, seed companies and producers.

The conference covered topics on the political framework of organic seed and plant breeding market in Europe and in Croatia, on the state of organic seed in Europe, and on the EU seed marketing laws reform process and interlinks with roadmap towards 100 % organic seed. In the second part, a panel discussion on organic seed sector development in Croatia was held. The event featured interesting and lively debates about organic farming and organic plant breeding in the EU.

Prof. Meiliang Zhou from the Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences was invited to give a lecture at the 9th Congress of the Genetic Society of Slovenia. His talk was about the buckwheat genome and genetics as well as about his work within ECOBREED.

At CRI in Prague, Czech Republic, the ECOBREED executive board held a press conference and round table discussion about the project results with members of the press and the Czech Ministry of Agriculture.

The ECOBREED executive board visited our partner PRO-BIO, obchodní společnost s r.o., in Staré Město in the north-eastern part of the Czech Republic.

PRO-BIO is the pioneering organic food producer and organic farming business in the Czech Republic.

Happy European Organic Day to all!

Today is the 2nd European Organic Day, and ECOBREED is happy to be a part of the movement for a better future.

Let’s all keep up the good work!

This summer, ECOBREED partner National Agricultural and Food Center (NPPC) from Slovakia organised a field day as well as a participatory plant breeding training in Vígľaš – Pstrúša that were a big success among the public.

The ECOBREED harvest in Borovce, Slovakia, at its best! Wheat everywhere, and harvesters did their absolute best.

ECOBREED organised an Advanced Phenotyping Training Event at Nafferton Farm at Newcastle University, UK from 4-5 August 2022.  This introductory workshop covered different sensing tools for field phenotyping and their applications as a part of the EU ECOBREED project covering improvement in organic breeding. The workshop covered topics on conventional phenotyping, on remote sensing, on sensor tools for non-destructive phenotyping, in-field demonstration, demonstration of preliminary data analyses approaches and hands on sensor use.

DIGIBREED Summer School was organised at BOKU, Austria, at the end of July. It was a very productive week for 25 participants – 10 were also granted ECOBREED bursaries. We hope they will use the gained knowledge to increase the organic sector and organic plant breeding in the countries with an uptake of organic agriculture.

Hot hard days of ECOBREED at Selgen, Czech Republic. The wheat harvest of the year 2022 started during the heat weaves moving across Europe. The toilsome days are full of sweat and dust, temperatures reaching 39 °C.

The data gathering, such as measuring the plant heights, is essential for the breeding process. There are thousands of potential genetic combinations but just a few of them are going to be new wheat varieties. Finding the right one is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Our Czech partners, PRO-BIO, obchodní společnost s r.o. and SELGEN, a.s., have been awarded by the European Seed magazine as two of the 20 most climate friendly seed companies. The jury especially appreciated the 30-year cooperation of PRO-BIO with organic farmers as an example of sustainable farming systems as well as SELGEN’s work in developing new high quality plant varieties that require low input of chemicals and energy which contributes to a better environment. Congratulations!

More info:

• https://european-seed.com/2022/04/the-20-most-climate-friendly-companies-over-2021-11-15/
• https://european-seed.com/2022/04/the-20-most-climate-friendly-companies-over-2021-16-20/