Managing on farm populations Mixtures of landraces or old varieties

Mixtures of populations will foster the organic sector, by diversifying available crops, fulfilling their ecological function and stimulating diversity at all levels. However, beside creation and breeding process of such crops (PA# 4), farmers should manage the economic and technological issues of the seed production. Even if the main aim is to provide adapted cultivars to farmers, in some cases and for some species, seeds can be sold (see new regulation about heterogeneous material), but farmers should take care about health issues, because dynamic population are bred to fit given local contexts and not for large adaptation. The mixture of several populations will evolve together as a dynamic population year after year in the conditions of the farm and will offer locally adapted cultivars to better reach objectives of the whole food chains. Farmers within local groups (operational groups, seed associations, community seed banks), will explore new market opportunities thinking about introducing the on-farm plant breeding activities in the cost of the products. For health issues, it is better to exchange or to sell small quantities of seeds in order to proceed to a first multiplication before producing on larger scale.