Producing high-quality organic vegetable seeds
Between 2005 and 2008, a French study evaluated four actions—crop monitoring, seed quality assessment, mechanical weeding trials, and weed physiological research—to support high-quality organic vegetable seed production. While farmers achieved generally good seed quality, controlling pests like onion downy mildew and pea weevil remained challenging, and high technical demands and costs limit the number of qualified organic seed growers despite rising market demand.
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Detail description
A three-year (2005–2008) program conducted by FNAMS, CIVAM Bio de l’Aude, ACTA, SNES GEVES, and INRA tested four key actions to improve organic vegetable seed quality: monitoring of open-field and cold-frame seed crops, seed quality assessment, mechanical weeding trials, and physiological studies of weeds, including base temperature thresholds for germination. Over one hundred crop plots were visited in major French production areas, revealing that practiced agronomic methods generally produced satisfactory seed quality. Yet controlling bioaggressors such as onion downy mildew, bean bacterial diseases, and pea weevil remained challenging. High technical skills and elevated production costs constrain the number of qualified organic seed growers against growing market demand.
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Contribution detail info
- Project
- Location
- France
- Authors
- François COLLIN, Frédéric REY, Alain RODRIGUEZ, Joël LÉCHAPPÉ et Bruno CHAUVEL
- Purpose
- Adopt innovative practices
- File type
- document
- Created on
- 01 Beal 2014
- Origin language
- French
- Official project website
- Innovations agronomiques
- License
- CC BY