Organic seed work focusing on wheats:
Dr. Karl-Josef Muller, Cereal breeding for organic and biodynamic farmsGetreidezuechtungsforschung Darzau, Darzau Hof, 29490 Neu Darchau, Germanyfax: 49- (0)5853-1394 phone 49-(0)5853-1397 web: http://www.darzau.de/
Maritime Certified Organic Growers Wheat Variety Trials (since 1998). Contact Jennifer Scott, email: Speerville Mill, Spearville, NB, E7N 1S2. Phone (506) 277-6371. Fax (506) 277-1006.
Aegilops Network, Greece
ECO-PB
Alkorn Network, Sweden
BackgroundThe project started 1995 with choosing from the Nordic Gene Bank old Nordic winter wheat and spelt varieties and in 1997 we continued with spring wheat, oats and barley. The goal is to identify and find interesting cereal varieties for organic farming in Sweden. Varieties should be of high quality for human nutrition and be well adapted to local soils and climate. Further they should have a good weed suppressive ability and tolerance to diseases and pests. Different varieties are used from primitive wheats like Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T turgidum and T. timophevii to local land varieties from different landscapes and to Swedish bred varieties from 1900 to 1960. The last category often has a land variety as one of its parents. More than 400 varieties are tested for the moment. MethodsThe varieties are selected each year to get them more adapted to organic conditions. Farmers are testing a number of different varieties on there own farm and will then decide which varieties that could be of interest for them. He can then start to produce his own seed. About 45 farmers have joined the project. ResultsWe found that straw length is very important for the wheat plant. A long straw has a long distance between the flag leaf and the ear making it more difficult for the diseases to reach the ears. A long straw promotes the ripening process and gives a high protein content. Early growth combined with a long straw also gives a good competition against weeds. Baking tests showed high gluten contents and high bread volumes but the gluten was often weak and not adapted to factory baking. Some varieties had a better taste than others but the taste was also better with whole meal bread. Some old oats have higher content of antioxidants and most barley and oats varieties have high contents of soluble fibers (betaglukans). Farmer experiencesOlder varieties had lower yields than conventional new varieties but the old ones have a higher market value. For example spelt flour has been paid five times higher than conventional wheat flour. The farmers are very satisfied with the appearance of the varieties in the field. They look healthier with colours and brilliance and have better weed suppressive ability than conventional varieties. The straw yield also have an extra value for an organic farmer. The farmers found it more interesting to grow old varieties if they can get a higher price for their product. The marketing of functional food is increasing and m�ith added betaglukans had been priced very high. Organic cereal products without pesticide residues sold as whole kernels should be the true functional food for the future. The futureWe hope that the new EU-instructions about conservation varieties will permit the growing of old varieties. For the moment we are creating a network on Internet that will permit the consumer to find the closest local producer of old cereals. We also strongly support the consumption of more wholemeal products to increase the intake of vitamins and antioxidants situated more in the germ and outer parts of the kernel. A simple household mill can help the consumer to always have fresh wholemeal products of cereals. One very interesting product is hulless barley called the Nordic rice. It can be boiled like rice and is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and fibers. |
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