"Organic Crop Breeding" provides readers with a thorough review of the latest efforts by crop breeders and geneticists to develop improved varieties for organic production. The book opens with chapters looking at breeding efforts that focus on specific valuable traits such as quality, pest and disease resistance as well as the impacts improved breeding efforts can have on organic production. The second part of the book is a series of crop specific case studies that look at breeding efforts currently underway from around the world in crops ranging from carrots to corn. "Organic Crop Breeding" includes chapters from leading researchers in the field and is carefully edited by two pioneers in the field.

ContributorsForewordWilliam F. TracyPrefaceEdith T. Lammerts van Bueren and James R. MyersAcknowledgmentsSection 1 General Topics Related to Organic Plant BreedingChapter 1 Organic Crop Breeding: Integrating Organic Agricultural Approaches and Traditional and Modern Plant Breeding MethodsEdith T. Lammerts van Bueren and James R. MyersIntroductionHow Different Are Organic Farming Systems?Consequences for Cultivar RequirementsFrom Cultivar Evaluation to Organic Seed Production and Plant Breeding ProgramsThe History of Organic Crop Breeding in Europe and the United StatesPerspectives and Challenges for Breeding for Organic AgricultureConclusionReferencesChapter 2 Nutrient Management in Organic Farming and Consequences for Direct and Indirect Selection StrategiesMonika Messmer, Isabell Hildermann, Kristian Thorup-Kristensen, and Zed RengelIntroductionAvailability of Nutrients in Organic FarmingRoots: The Hidden PotentialEven Greater Complexity: Plant-Microbe-Soil InteractionsImportance of Selection EnvironmentsBreeding StrategiesReferencesChapter 3 Pest and Disease Management in Organic Farming: Implications and Inspirations for Plant BreedingThomas F. D¿oring, Marco Pautasso, Martin S. Wolfe, and Maria R. FinckhIntroductionPlant Protection in Organic FarmingKey Target Areas of Plant Breeding for Organic Plant ProtectionBreeding Goals for Ecological Plant ProtectionPlant Breeding Approaches Directly Targeting Pests or DiseasesPlant Breeding Approaches with Indirect Effects on Plant HealthDiscussion and ConclusionsReferencesChapter 4 Approaches to Breed for Improved Weed Suppression in Organically Grown CerealsSteve P. Hoad, Nils-Øve Bertholdsson, Daniel Neuhoff, and Ulrich K¿opkeBackgroundCrop Competitiveness Against WeedsCrop Traits Involved in Weed SuppressionSelection of Traits and Their Evaluation in Plant Breeding ProgramsSelection StrategiesUnderstanding Crop-Weed Interactions to Assist Plant BreedingConcluding Remarks and Wider PerspectivesReferencesChapter 5 Breeding for Genetically Diverse Populations: Variety Mixtures and Evolutionary PopulationsJulie C. Dawson and Isabelle GoldringerIntroductionBenefits of Genetic Diversity for Organic AgricultureOn-Farm Conservation of Useful Genetic DiversityBreeding StrategiesConclusionReferencesChapter 6 Centralized or Decentralized Breeding: The Potentials of Participatory Approaches for Low-Input and Organic AgricultureDominique Desclaux, Salvatore Ceccarelli, John Navazio, Micaela Coley, Gilles Trouche, Silvio Aguirre, Eva Weltzien, and Jacques Lanc¿onIntroductionCentralized and Decentralized Breeding: DefinitionsWhat Can Be Decentralized in Breeding and Why?Participatory ApproachesPPB: A Single Term Yielding Different ApproachesSome Examples of PPB for Organic and Low Input Agriculture in Southern CountriesSome Examples of PPB for Organic and Low Input Agriculture in Northern CountriesGeneral Conclusions and Limits of PPB Approaches in Organic FarmingReferencesChapter 7 Values and Principles in Organic Farming and Consequences for Breeding Approaches and TechniquesKlaus P. Wilbois, Brian Baker, Maaike Raaijmakers, and Edith T. Lammerts van BuerenIntroductionArguments Against Genetic EngineeringOrganic Basic PrinciplesToward Organic BreedingFrom Values to Criteria: Evaluation of Breeding TechniquesHow to Deal with Varieties Bred with Non-compliant Techniques?Toward Appropriate Standards to Promote Organic Plant BreedingDiscussion and Challenges for Organic Plant BreedingReferencesChapter 8 Plant Breeding, Variety Release, and Seed Commercialization: Laws and Policies Applied to the Organic SectorVeronique Chable, Niels Louwaars, Kristina Hubbard, Brian Baker, and Riccardo BocciIntroductionThe Developments of Plant Breeding and the Emergence of Seed LawsVariety RegistrationSeed Quality Control and CertificationSpecial Needs for Organic AgricultureA Recent Development in Europe: Conservation VarietiesIntellectual Property Rights and Plant BreedingDiscussionConclusionsNotesReferencesSection 2 Organic Plant Breeding in Specific CropsChapter 9 Wheat: Breeding for Organic Farming SystemsMatt Arterburn, Kevin Murphy, and Steve S. JonesIntroductionMethodsTraits for Selection in Organic Breeding ProgramsA Case Study for EPB: Lexi's ProjectA Case Study for Breeding within a Supply Chain Approach: Peter Kunz and SativaConclusionReferencesChapter 10 Maize: Breeding and Field Testing for Organic FarmersWalter A. Goldstein, Walter Schmidt, Henriette Burger, Monika Messmer, Linda M. Pollak, Margaret E. Smith, Major M. Goodman, Frank J. Kutka, and Richard C. PrattIntroductionWhat Kind of Maize do Organic Farmers Want?Are There Viable Alternatives to Single Cross Hybrids?Testing and Using Alternative HybridsAre There Benefits for Breeding under Organic Conditions?For Which Traits Is It Necessary to Test under Organic Conditions?Choice of Parents for Breeding ProgramsBreeding ProgramsFuture DirectionsNotesReferencesChapter 11 Rice: Crop Breeding Using Farmer-Led Participatory Plant BreedingCharito P. MedinaIntroductionMASIPAG and Participatory Rice BreedingBeyond PPB: Farmer-Led Rice BreedingThe Breeding ProcessOutcomes of the MASIPAG ProgramOutlookReferencesChapter 12 Soybean: Breeding for Organic Farming SystemsJohann Vollmann and Michelle MenkenIntroductionAgronomic CharactersSeed Quality FeaturesConsiderations on Breeding MethodsReferencesChapter 13 Faba Bean: Breeding for Organic Farming SystemsWolfgang Link and Lamiae GhaoutiPurposes of Breeding and Growing Faba BeanGenetic and Botanical Basics of Breeding Faba BeanMethodological ConsiderationsTraits To Be Improved in Faba Bean BreedingOpen Questions, Need for ActionReferencesChapter 14 Potato: Perspectives to Breed for an Organic Crop IdeotypeMarjolein Tiemens-Hulscher, Edith T. Lammerts van Bueren, and Ronald C.B. HuttenIntroductionRequired Cultivar CharacteristicsIntrogression Breeding and Applied TechniquesParticipatory Approach: An Example from the NetherlandsOutlookReferencesChapter 15 Tomato: Breeding for Improved Disease Resistance in Fresh Market and Home Garden VarietiesBernd Horneburg and James R. MyersIntroductionBotanical and Genetic Characteristics of TomatoRationale for Breeding Tomatoes within Organic SystemsBreeding Needs with Focus on Organic ProductionCase Studies: Breeding for Late Blight Resistance in Europe and North AmericaOutlookReferencesChapter 16 Brassicas: Breeding Cole Crops for Organic AgricultureJames R. Myers, Laurie McKenzie, and Roeland E. VoorripsIntroductionRationale for Breeding within Organic SystemsPlant BiologyTraits Needed for Adaptation to Organic ProductionConsideration of Breeding MethodsA Farmer Participatory Broccoli Breeding ProgramOutlookReferencesChapter 17 Onions: Breeding Onions for Low-Input and Organic AgricultureOlga E. Scholten and Thomas W. KuyperIntroductionRobust Onion CultivarsBreeding for Improved Nutrient AcquisitionMycorrhizal Symbiosis and Product QualityConclusionReferencesIndex