The need for organically adapted varieties has come up time and again as an important production issue among NC organic farmers and advisors.  In the spring of 2009 NCSU was awarded a $1.2 million grant for the development of field crop varieties specifically selected for organic production.

Currently, the overwhelming majority of breeding is done by private industry with the use of pesticides, and for corn and soybeans with transgenic technology. Pest management challenges specific to organic production are not addressed in these breeding protocols. Organic producers are often pressured to use varieties inappropriate for the Southeastern climate or pest populations because of limited seed options permitted under organic certification guidelines. As public breeding efforts continue to shrink while private breeding and use of patented genes expand, available germplasm for organic producers or even non-GMO producers is limited and often outdated.  There is a great need to expand public breeding programs to address the regional needs of non-GMO and organic producers in the Southeast USA.  Farmers who assisted in the development of this organic breeding project have identified several limitations to currently available varieties for organic production of soybean, corn, wheat and peanut.

This new project, Breeding for Organic Production Systems, will release new varieties of corn, soybeans, wheat, and peanuts by 2012, and seek to develop a dialogue between plant breeders and farmers and their advisors.  Breeders will expand their field trial programs to include multiple organic sites on working organic farms.  Breeders and farmers can make a realistic assessment of how new breeding lines will perform under actual organic conditions.

This project will also initiate an annual event that will bring together a coalition of plant breeders and organic farmers from around the Southeast.  In addition, crop breeders, organic producers, Extension, and researchers will come together to focus on organic crop breeding at the  Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG) meeting.  Southern SAWG is an organization dedicated to regional approaches to sustainable agriculture.  It holds an annual January event as a forum to build networks between producers and researchers. The 2010 Southern SAWG Conference will be held in Chattanooga, TN on January 20-23.  The Breeding for Organic Production Systems meeting will be held on Sunday, January 24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Marriot Plaza A.  To register for this meeting, contact Sally Lee at sally@rafiusa.org.