ThePartnership no. 15

“Research and breeding

“Research and breeding activities will encompass more attention towards creating varieties that can withstand abiotic stress.” Gert-Jan de Boer Organic keeps growing Year after year the consumption of organic produced food increases further. The prognosis towards 2024 is a nearly 15% yearly growth of the global organic market. When you visit your local supermarket, you will notice that more and more products are also available with the label organic. In Denmark, organic products made up for even 13% of the overall sales in 2017. It is clear that organic no longer is a niche market, but becomes more mainstream. Column Also, we see that many countries have an organic regulation by law. In August this year, president Putin signed a new law on organics for Russia. As organic vegetables have to be produced from organic seeds, we see a rapid increase in sales at an at least similar speed. In 2017, the increase of the organic seed sales was, despite some seed production failures, almost 17%. Organic seed production a challenge Without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, organic seed production faces more restrictions than conventional production. For many years, Vitalis Organic Seeds has built up a lot of experience in organic seed production all over the world. In 2019, we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Ever since the beginning, we are continuous looking for and investing in new seed production locations. Apart from our marketing efforts, we are convinced that Vitalis has also a great competitor advantage being the most reliable organic seed supplier. to these higher temperatures, with the help and expertise of researchers from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, resulted in the identification of a number of interesting cultivars and strategies that tomato plants can apparently employ to set fruits and produce seeds under high temperatures. The research on this topic has now reached a phase where the laboratory can be exchanged for field experiments and where, similar to a relay race, the baton can now be picked up by molecular researchers at Enza Zaden to screen for heat tolerant genetics and breed new varieties using this information.” ROS One overlapping theme between many abiotic stresses, and even some biotic or pathogen induced stresses, is the accumulation of so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS) ROS causes damage to many plant cell components including the DNA. Some herbicides, such as Paraquat – also known as methylviologen –, function by inducing the formation of ROS species in plants. Since its effect is not restricted to plant cells, and they can also induce ROS in animal cells, the use of paraquat has been banned in the European Union. When too much ROS is formed, plants can respond by the formation of antioxidants. Perhaps the best known antioxidants are anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are pigments that normally are 26 | The Partnership formed in flowers or red grapes. These antioxidants are therefore also present in red wine. “Again in an effort to translate research from Arabidopsis towards vegetable species, we participated in a European Union funded project together with researchers from the German University of Potsdam and the Bulgarian University of Plovdiv. For this project, researcher Lorena Romero Prada performed experiments at Enza Zaden as part of her PhD project to investigate the factors that influence the tolerance or susceptibility for ROS in tomato and lettuce. Some of her work can directly be incorporated in new varieties we develop. Varieties that ultimately can withstand extreme weather conditions or other abiotic stresses.” Varieties of tomorrow Our planet is changing rapidly and our varieties need to be able to be ready for this. In order to continue developing successful varieties, researchers team up with different universities and institutes to identify the genetics needed to grow the crops of tomorrow. “The success of future varieties will not only depend on characteristics of the variety such as yield, disease resistance and quality of the produce, but also on the flexibility of the plant to be able to grow and thrive under rapidly changing environmental conditions. Through various collaborative projects, researchers within Enza Zaden have been able to identify some of the genetic factors that we will need to breed for the varieties of tomorrow.” Understand what business you are in Organic production is a completely certified production system regulated by law. At the same time it is a well-established and recognised consumer ‘brand’. So, it is of great importance to be involved in this market and stay ahead of the competition. Be aware of what the regulation in your region looks like. How it is controlled, by whom and how your growers deal with it. Be in contact with what we call the ‘organic world’ to, where needed, influence them or bring the latest information to your regional team. We are in close connection with partners all over the world to share knowledge and talk about the latest developments in organics. Together with our experience in organic seed production and our knowledge of the organic world, we strongly believe that we can stay ahead of the existing and eventual new competition. What the future will bring You never know what the future will bring, but what I am sure of is that organic keeps growing. Also when I’m retired (as of 1 January 2019, red.) For me personally this will be the end of a great and wonderful period managing Vitalis Organic Seeds. But also before that, managing sales for Enza Zaden Benelux. I want to thank you all for your good, warm and even sometimes critical attitude towards organic and wish you all the best. Believe me ‘Organic keeps growing’. Since 1 January 2012, Henk Haitsma had been Director of Vitalis Organic Seeds in Voorst, the Netherlands. Henk retired on 1 January 2019. Henk is passionate about organic products and thoroughly convinced the organic world will keep growing. Close connection between conventional and organic produce companies is essential for that. The Partnership | 27