Characterization of genetic variation for the development of diverse and resilient crops for the organic sector

Summary

Globalisation has led to a loss of local crop varieties, creating challenges for organic farming in Europe, where many crops urgently need improvement and adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. The DIVERSILIENCE project explored breeding and conservation strategies to develop diverse and resilient crops for organic systems, focusing on key species such as wheat, white lupin, buckwheat, peas, beans, soy, maize, and cowpea.
The findings show that local varieties are often better adapted to specific climates, while European breeding materials can contribute valuable genetic diversity for long-term improvement. Participatory approaches, such as farmer-led mass selection in buckwheat and maize, combined with advanced genomic and proteomic research in crops like wheat and soybean, have enabled significant gains in resilience, yield, and disease resistance within a relatively short period of three years.
The project demonstrates that breeding for diversity and mixed cropping can improve resilience under suboptimal conditions while maintaining productivity. It also highlights that investing in organic plant breeding is a highly effective strategy for increasing organic production in Europe, requiring efforts at all stages of the breeding value chain to ensure the availability of adapted germplasm suited to organic farming systems.