Pacific Northwest Organic Plant Breeding Symposium Slated For February

Posted by Rosemary Gordon|October 28, 2015

The Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) will host a symposium this winter to identify opportunities and priorities for advancing organic plant breeding in the Pacific Northwest. The symposium will be held in conjunction with OSA’s 8th Organic Seed Growers Conference on Feb. 3 in Corvallis, OR.

“The long-term goal of this symposium is to increase farmer access to regionally appropriate vegetable, grain, and pulse seed well-suited for organic production,” Micaela Colley, executive director of Organic Seed Alliance, says. “Farmers who follow organic practices must focus more on prevention and resistance because they have fewer inputs at their disposal. They need crop varieties developed specifically for low-input systems – crops that mitigate pest and disease pressures, and that are adapted to their Pacific Northwest conditions and climates.”

Organic farmers face different challenges than their conventional counterparts, such as having fewer allowable inputs available for dealing with pest and disease pressures. To date, plant-breeding efforts focused on organic systems have been minimal, and organic farmers remain underserved in seed adapted to organic conditions. Research demonstrates that varieties developed under conventional, chemical-intensive conditions are not always successful in organic and other low-input systems.

The symposium – which focuses on the needs of growers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho – will bring together stakeholders representing the organic production chain. Public and private plant breeders will be joined by farmers, seed distributors, food processors, and other seed and food professionals to identify critical gaps in crop availability and quality in the Pacific Northwest. The information gathered from this targeted group will advise public plant breeding efforts through a report that includes detailed recommendations.

In addition to the targeted participant invitations, individuals working in the Pacific Northwest organic production chain may apply to participate in this working symposium by filling out an application. Applications must be completed by Nov. 30, 2015, to be considered. Space is limited.