The production of vegetable seed for organic farming systems has its own spe- cial requirements. Strict adherence to the prevailing specifications for organi- cally produced seed must be adhered to in any country of production for seed to be used for authenticated organic vegetable crops.
Background
The demand for organically produced vegetable crops for the fresh market became popular with consumers towards the end of the 20th century and has continued to increase in the 21st century. The popularity of organic produce increased especially in some North American, European and southern hemi- sphere markets, although not confined to these areas. The call for organic crops has also included various forms of processed vegetables. The International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM), with its head office in Bonn, Germany, has a global role with links to member organizations in some 108 countries. IFOAM liaises with the main international seed organizations, includ- ing the Seed Service of FAO and ISF.
Definition and possible future impact
The term ‘organic vegetables’ refers to the method of production. The funda- mental principle is that the crops are produced without the use of specified crop protection chemicals or inorganic fertilizers on land that is defined as suit- able; (i.e. approved by an overseeing organization).
The development of market outlets for organic produce has created a demand for organically produced vegetable seed, which is produced under similar conditions as the organic ware crops. Some governments have aimed to increase the percentage of crops produced organically, which in turn is expected to increase the market needs for organic seed.
However, vegetable producers in developing countries may face difficulties in marketing their produce in developed countries if their seed specifications do not meet the prevailing criteria.
Legal framework
As with all official schemes, and with consumer protection in mind, there needs to be an overseeing organization or agency in individual countries to monitor the authenticity of crops. In the European Union (EEC), the main starting point
is the EC Directive 2092/91, which stipulates that the seed used for organic crop production should also be produced in an organic regime.
In the UK, the Soil Association has taken the regulatory role and responsi- bility for authenticating the seed produced. In other European countries, similar organizations have taken on the monitoring tasks.
In the USA, all producers and handlers of organic crops are required to be approved by a USDA certification agent to label or sell a crop as ‘organically grown’; the regulations also include standards for seed sources for organic crop production (Bonina and Cantliffe, 2005).
In the early stages of its implementation, there were derogations in place which allowed producers of vegetables destined as organic to use non- organically produced seed (‘orthodox seed’), if the seed of a required cultivar was either not available or unavailable in sufficient quantities; this created planning difficulties for the seed producer.
Organic seed and seed suppliers
Initially seed producers and suppliers need to know if there is a market for their products. There are several factors to be considered in the case of organic seed. These can include the following:
● The cultivars to include in seed production programmes, as this will very much depend on the cultivars opted for by the organic vegetable producers.
● Generally, the vegetable producers will choose cultivars according to their market requirements, e.g. suitability for fresh produce, pre-packaging or processing.
● The growers’ organic production regimes, including which cultivars have bet- ter pest and pathogen tolerance or control when grown in organic regimes.
● The estimated quantities of seed required for the required cultivars.
● The commercial risks in opting for production of organic seed.
● The feasibility of producing organic seed with only allowable materials, especially for the biennial crop species which have a longer exposure period to pests and pathogens in the field.
● Finding alternative viable methods of weed, pest and disease control during seed crop production.
● The seed producer has to decide on a plan when embarking on the produc- tion of organic seed that will satisfy the requirements stipulated by the moni- toring authority.
● A suitable plan for control of pests, pathogens and weeds will have to be made, and it will very likely imply the use of biological controls possibly along with integrated control systems.
● Additional considerations by the seed producer may include: likelihood of a derogation of a cultivar by the controlling authority and therefore possible loss of sales potential, if the seed producer has speculated on such a cultivar.
● Many seed producers have already successfully incorporated organic veg- etable seed production programmes into their businesses; while others will need to develop acceptable protocols, if they plan to.
● It is generally accepted that the production costs of organic seed are higher than for orthodox seed, due to lower yields in some species, depending on the crop.
● Many of the pre-sowing treatments to control, or partly control, pre- and post-emergence of pests and pathogens in orthodox seed production are not allowable for organic seed. The later section in this chapter includes pre-sowing treatments, some of which are long standing, and also newer techniques allowed for organic seed, some of those listed which include chemical treatment would not normally be allowable.
● It is essential that the various monitoring authorities allow seed producers the same derogations as the organic vegetable crop producers have.
Research and discussions related directly to the needs of organic seed production
It has been generally demonstrated and agreed that there is a need for further research and development into the requirements of organic seed production.
The Conference Report (IFOAM, ISF and FAO, 2004) stated that two legitimate realities exist, that is:
1. Large-scale vegetable growers, aiming to supply supermarkets in their home countries and export markets where there is heavy reliance on modern cultivars, including F1 hybrids.
2. Farmers groups in developing and developed countries, where local markets are supplied often using ‘local varieties’, from community-based seed produc- tion systems and in some instances involved in participatory plant breeding.
Both of these groups have some different requirements regarding their objectives.
An example of an earlier investigation into feasibility of producing organic seed in England
Work at Horticultural Research International in England (DEFRA, 2003) examined the organic seed production of three biennials, i.e. parsnip, winter cauliflower and bulb onions, also a small range of annual vegetable species.
The experiment demonstrated that while it is possible to produce onion seed in tunnels under UK conditions, the incidence of Botrytis allii, (onion neck rot), remained a problem. This work also showed that while seed quality differ- ences were small, the management costs can be high. From this example and discussions held at the International Conference referred to above, sugges- tions for some further research and development can be identified. These include:
● Identify new seed production areas which can be shown to have a reduced incidence of those pests and/or pathogens which are difficult to control in traditional seed production areas, especially biennial seed crops.
● Evaluate existing cultivars to determine their suitability for crop production under organic production protocols.
● Identify plant breeding opportunities for the development of cultivars that fulfil the needs of organic vegetable production protocols.
● Participatory plant breeding can offer an opportunity for close liaison between breeders and organic growers for the further development of cul- tivars most suited for organic production. For example Lammerts et al.
(2005) have discussed the need to broaden the genetic base of crops such as onion when breeding to meet the cultivar requirements of organic growers.
● The biological control systems can be used to great advantage in some situ- ations during seed production.
Nutrition and guidance on organically produced seed
Crop rotation and approved organic and mineral materials are a part of the concept of organic production. However, from the point of view of seed pro- duction, care must be taken to ensure that undesirable crop or weed seeds and propagules are not introduced with uncomposted organic materials.
Generally, synthetic crop protection materials should not be used. The con- trol of pathogens, pests and weeds has to be achieved by appropriate hus- bandry (including choice of cultivar, rotation, methods of encouraging natural predators and timely cultivations). With the advent of organic farming sys- tems and increased demands for authentically produced organic vegetables (in addition to other organic products), there are various monitoring and advi- sory agencies. For example, in the UK, further information may be obtained from the Soil Association Producer Services and the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS). The National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB) has included vegetable cultivar trials on UKROFS-approved organic farms and published lists of vegetable cultivars suitable for organic production in the UK (NIAB, 2007).