Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T00:03:16.841Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Breeding for organic and low-input farming systems: An evolutionary–participatory breeding method for inbred cereal grains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Kevin Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA.
Doug Lammer
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA.
Steve Lyon
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA.
Brady Carter
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA.
Stephen S. Jones*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Organic and low-input farmers often plant seed varieties that have been selected under conventional practices, traditionally including high inputs of artificial fertilizers, crop protection chemicals and/or water. In addition, these crops are often selected in environments that may or may not represent the local environment of the farmer. An evolutionary participatory breeding (EPB) method emphasizes the utilization of natural selection in combination with site-specific farmer selection in early segregating generations of a heterogeneous crop population. EPB is a combination of two specific breeding methods, evolutionary breeding and participatory plant breeding. Evolutionary breeding has been shown to increase yield, disease resistance, genetic diversity and adaptability of a crop population over time. It is based on a mass selection technique used by farmers for over 10,000 years of crop improvement. Participatory plant breeding programs originated in developing countries to meet the needs of low-input, small-scale farmers in marginal environments who were often overlooked by conventional crop breeders. The EPB method is an efficient breeding system uniquely suited to improving crop varieties for the low-input and organic farmer. The EPB method utilizes the skills and knowledge of both breeders and farmers to develop heterogeneous landrace populations, and is an effective breeding method for both traditional and modern farmers throughout the world.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Danquah, E.Y., and Barrett, J.A. 2002. Grain yield in composite cross five of barley: Effects of natural selection. Journal of Agricultural Science 138: 171176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Soliman, K.M., and Allard, R.W. 1991. Grain yield of composite cross populations of barley: Effects of natural selection. Crop Science 31: 705708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Ceccarelli, S.S. 1996. Adaptation to low/high input cultivation. Euphytica 92: 203214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Lotter, D.W. 2003. Organic agriculture. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 21: 4 59128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Pimbert, M.P. 1994. The need for another research paradigm. Seedling 11: 2 2025.Google Scholar
6Perales, H., Brush, S.B., and Qualset, C.O. 1998. Agronomic and economic competitiveness of maize landraces and in situ conservation in Mexico. In Smale, M. (ed.). Farmers, Gene Banks, and Crop Breeding: Economic Analyses of Diversity in Wheat, Maize, and Rice. Kluwer Academic, Norwell, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
7Haugerud, A., and Collinson, M.P. 1990. Plants, genes and people: Improving the relevance of plant breeding in Africa. Experimental Agriculture 26: 341362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Allard, R.W. 1990. Plant Population Genetics, Breeding, and Genetic Resources Sunderland, Massachusetts Sinauer Associates.Google Scholar
9Suneson, C.A. 1956. An evolutionary plant breeding method. Agronomy Journal 48: 188191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Jain, S.K. 1961. Studies on the breeding of self-pollinating cereals: The composite cross bulk population method. Euphytica 10: 315324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Ceccarelli, S., Grando, S., Tutwiler, R., Baha, J., Martini, A.M., Salahieh, H., Goodchild, A., and Michael, M. 2000. A methodological study on participatory barley breeding I. Selection phase. Euphytica 111: 91104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Allard, R.W. 1999. History of plant population genetics. Annual Review of Genetics 33: 127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Bhatt, G.M. 1973. Comparison of various methods of selecting parents for hybridization in common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 24: 457464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Busch, R.H., Janke, J.C., and Frohberg, R.C. 1974. Evaluation of crosses among high and low yielding parents of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and bulk prediction of line performance. Crop Science 14: 4750.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Lupton, F.G.H. 1961. Studies in the breeding of self-pollinating cereals. 3. Further studies in cross prediction. Euphytica 10: 209224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Utz, H.F., Bohn, M., and Melchinger, A.E. 2001. Predicting progeny means and variances of winter wheat crosses from phenotypic values of their parents. Crop Science 41: 14701478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Schnell, F.W. 1982. A synoptic study of the methods and categories of plant breeding. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenzuechtung 89: 118.Google Scholar
18Degago, Y., and Caviness, C.E. 1987. Seed yield of soybean bulk populations grown for 10 to 18 years in two environments. Crop Science 27: 207210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Corte, H.R., Ramalhol, M.A.P., Goncalves, F.M.A., and Abreu, A.D.F.B. 2002. Natural selection for grain yield in dry bean populations bred by the bulk method. Euphytica 123: 387393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Wolfe, M.S. 1992. Barley diseases: maintaining the value of our varieties. In Munck, L.(ed.). Barley Genetics VI. Proceedings of the Sixth International Barley Genetics Symposium, Vol II. Munksgaard, Copenhagen. p. 10551067.Google Scholar
21Garrett, K.A., and Mundt, C.C. 1999. Epidemiology in mixed host populations. Phytopathology 89: 984990.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Wolfe, M.S. 1985. The current status and prospects of multiline cultivars and variety mixtures for disease resistance. Annual Review of Phytopathology 23: 251273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23Zhu, Y., Chen, H., Fan, J., Wang, Y., Li, Y., Chen, J., Fan, J., Yang, S., HuL., L.,, Leung, H., Mew, T.W., Teng, P.S., Wang, Z., and Mundt, C. 2000. Genetic diversity and disease control in rice. Nature 406: 718722.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Allard, R.W. 1990. The genetics of host–pathogen coevolution: Implications for genetic resource conservation. Journal of Heredity 81: 16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25Jackson, L.F., Webster, R.K., Allard, R.W., and Kahler, A.L. 1982. Genetic analysis of changes in scald resistance in barley composite cross V. Phytopathology 72: 10691072.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Maroof, M.A.S., Webster, R.K., and Allard, R.W. 1983. Evolution of resistance to scald, powdery mildew, and net blotch in barley composite cross II populations. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 66: 279283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Muona, O., and Allard, R.W. 1982. Evolution of resistance to Rhynchosporium secalis (Oud.) Davis in barley composite cross II. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 61: 209214.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Buzzell, R.I., and Hass, J.H. 1972. Natural and mass selection estimate of relative fitness for the soybean rps gene. Crop Science 12: 7576.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29Hartwig, E.E., Kilen, T.C., Young, L.D., and Edwards, C.J.J. 1982. Effects of natural selection in segregating soybean populations exposed to phytophthora rot or soybean cyst nematodes. Crop Science 22: 588590.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30Agrios, G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology 4th ed London, UK Academic Press.Google Scholar
31Robinson, R.A. 1996. Return to Resistance: Breeding Crops to Reduce Pesticide Dependence. AgAccess, Davis, CA.Google Scholar
32Simmonds, N.W. 1983. A Plant Breeder's Perspective of Durable Resistance. American Phytopathological Society Ames, Iowa, USA.Google Scholar
33Bruckner, P.L., and Finney, P.L. 1992. Milling and baking quality attributes of soft red winter wheat bulk populations and derived lines. Crop Science 32: 11721179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34Basset, L.M., Allan, R.E., and Rubenthaler, G.L. 1989. Genotype×environment interactions on soft white winter wheat quality. Agronomy Journal 81: 955960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35Kratochvil, R.J., and Sammons, D.J. 1990. A comparison of soft red winter wheat F2 populations, their F1 hybrids, and parents. Journal of Production Agriculture 3: 363367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36Allard, R.W. 1996. Genetic basis of the evolution of adaptedness in plants. Euphytica 92: 111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37Enjalbert, J., Goldringer, I., Paillard, S., and Brabant, P. 1999. Molecular markers to study genetic drift and selection in wheat populations. Journal of Experimental Botany 50: 283290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38Jain, S.K., and Allard, R.W. 1960. Population studies in predominantly self-pollinated species, I. Evidence for heterozygote advantage in a closed population of barley. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 46:13711377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
39Fisher, R.A. 1930. The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40Cleveland, D.A., Soleri, D., and Smith, S.E. 1999. Farmer plant breeding from a biological perspective: Implications for collaborative plant breeding. CIMMYT Economics Working Paper No. 10. CIMMYT, Mexico, DF.Google Scholar
41Cromwell, E., Wiggins, S., and Wentzel, S. 1993. Sowing Beyond the State. Overseas Development Institute, London.Google Scholar
42Canadian Seed Alliance. 2004. Report of the Seed Sector Advisory Committee. Canadian Seed Alliance, Ottowa, Canada. Available at Web site http://www.seedsectorreview.com (verified 1 June 2004).Google Scholar