From selection to cultivation with the support of all stakeholders: the first registration in France of two winter bread wheat varieties after value for cultivation and use evaluation in organic farming systems

Abstract

Winter bread wheat is the most important cash crop for French organic farmers. The choice of its varieties farmers cultivate is therefore very important. Most of the available varieties were initially bred for intensive “conventional” farming systems (with high inputs of mineral fertilizers and pesticides). Thus, screening current and novel varieties for organic conditions is necessary to identify varieties suitable for organic farming conditions in a short-term experiment. After 18 years of breeding and screening in a combination of both low input and organic crop management systems, the two pure lines Hendrix and Skerzzo were registered in the official French catalogue with the special mention “organic farming.” The acreages of commercial seed production to be sold to organic farmers continuously increased from 120, 139 to 160 ha in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. This successful process was made possible due to the support of the whole agricultural organic economic sector associated with the initiative.