Contribution to organic breeding programmes of wheat variety testing in organic farming in France

Summary

Bread winter wheat is one of the most important cash crops for French organic farmers. Nevertheless, most of varieties available on the market were bred for conventional farming systems (with high inputs of mineral fertilizers and chemicals for crop defense). In order to obtain correct levels of yield and quality, it is important i) to screen current varieties to find the best suited for organic conditions, and ii) to rapidly obtain suitable varieties that are specifically bred for organic farming conditions. Bread wheat variety trials under organic conditions have been coordinated since the year 2001, to centralize and evaluate results at national level. The ringtest not only aims to compare varieties, but also to support organic breeding, as it provides an opportunity to evaluate the ability of advanced lines bred for organic farming to meet the needs of farmers and millers for agronomic and quality traits. Trials are also used to study specific traits required for organic farming (such as weed competitiveness), so that they can become selection criteria in specific breeding programmes. In addition, protocols and results obtained in variety trials in organic farming give information to discuss about possibility of low input VCU testing (Value for Cultivation or Use).