1. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity EFRC, UK, copyright SUSVAR COST 860: SUStainable low-input cereal production: required VARietal characteristics and crop diversity

2. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Report from WG1 session Short presentation of each participant (project connected to SUSVAR + expectations with regards to SUSVAR action) Discussion on the priority traits (specific and/or fundamental for low- input/organic production) for which genetic analysis should be conducted + approaches for analysing the genetic basis of these characters What are we expected from other WGs (priority traits, methods,…) Organisation of the planned COST/ECO-PB workshop (December 2004) on low-input/organic breeding strategies and use of molecular markers in organic breeding programmes (Edith Lammerts van Bueren) Discussion on the different breeding strategies and variety structure wide vs specific adaptation, adaptation vs adaptability Proposal for common activities: exchange of material, methods, results... Planning/organisation of other workshops and Short Term Scientific Missions.

3. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity 1- Increasing resistance, especially seed borne diseases, (mycotoxins not worst in organic, aphids:reduced) – collaboration WG5 2- Grain yield in low input conditions + stability: easier to breed in the « fields » (QTL not « stable ») 3- Quality traits -> for futur 4- Efficient use of nutrients + root growth – collaboration WG4 5- Weed competition – collaboration WG4 6- Reducing disease risks => Sub-group on markers: G Backes coordinator Standardisation efforts for: the traits measured, the methods, the evaluation conditions for the different mapping populations (segregating or association in collection,..) => Global/system approaches=> Identification of limiting factors => criteria Discussion on priority traits -> concrete propositions

4. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Discussion on plant breeding methods, variety type -> concrete propositions Seed production: organic vs conventional conditions What kind of organic agriculture? It will lead to different research approaches. Organic market is very broad (local, export, large scale,…). Do we need really organic breeding ? => Sub-Group on comparison trials: different kind of varieties: organic, low-input, high input or bred for specific traits (early vigor,..) evaluated in conventional and organic trials - present the results in 1-2 years - connection with WG6: ask them to compile the conditions in which trials are realized - December: collect results from previous years => Exchange of composite cross populations and grow them during three generations (natural evolution or some selection ?) and see the adaptation + differenciation. => (before sept.) Identify people with results of evaluation trials, people with some populations or material to propose and/or ready to receive some material.

5. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG2: Information to other WG’s Set up a standard set of environmental characteristics Use a common set of varieties – May depend on ”south/north” Europe Use same type of design Use agreed method of access variables

6. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG2: Answers from other IG’s IGE – Interested in Temporal-spatial analyses for WG5, which may also be of interest for WG4 Analyses of trials with no crop Yield stability – Absolute stability – Rank stability

7. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG2: Tasks and data to look at TaskDataResp. personDate Stability methodsPawel+Francois10/10 Stat. Anl.BAR-OFEach10/10 Contribution in PoznanEach10/10 Analyses of mixturesThure ?2005 Temporal-spatial models2006

8. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG2: Coming meetings and STSM 1.Witzenhausen 11/10 or 14/10 Presentation of analyses on BAR-OF data2 h Statistical methods on stability1½ h Discussion on future work 1 h Other matters½ h 2.Pozan 2005 Arranged in connection with another statistical focusing meeting. No detailed plans yet. Local arrangements by Pawel No actual plans for STSM’s, but Poznan and Foulum are positive in being host if relevant

9. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG3: Problems in low-input agriculture A grain quality (protein content), weeds, smuts Nsoil structure, weeds, N-depletion CH N-deficiency, yield stability Syield stability (weeds, N-unavailable in spring) DKyield quantity UKN-unavailable in spring, weeds) FIyield formation, weeds, baking quality

10. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG3: Task 1 Make more N + P available at the right time (standpoint plant AND soil) How to intervene Study root development Study root associated microbes Study plant growth and development habit Nutrient allocation and timing

11. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Our expertise A = Soil science; B = Soil microbiology; C = Plant nutrition/nutrient acquisition D = Biocontrol/Plant pathology; E = Soil ecology; F = Breeding G = Genotypes-soil disturbance interactions; H = others Others: nutrient recycling, integration between crop & animal, plant root systems, plant ecology, crop development and growth, conversion to organic farming, social science, Tuesday, 29 June

12. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity A = field; B = greenhouse; C = laboratory; D = theoretically; E = other Others: farm, farming systems, farm level studies Tuesday, 29 June Our experimental approach

13. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Providing indicators Aboveground (sequential sampling) - biomass, N, P, leaf area, grain and straw measurements at harvest Belowground - top 40cm, biomass, root length, root hairs, architecture, “Bertholdsson test”. (Possible additions - root interactions in mixtures, AMF (mycorrhiza) Soil basic data - extractable P, K, total N, texture, density, pH, loss on ignition, CEC.

14. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Common experiments within WG3 and among WGs Looking at colonization of genotypes by microbes and effect of cultivars on efficacy of microbes (WG3) Using isolates for protection against seed and soil borne diseases (varieties field test in Sweden and Scotland) (WG3, WG3 + WG5) Problem stinking smut: use seed drench bacteria and varietal resistance (WG3 + WG5 => WG1) Develop methods to examine soil-physical impact on plants and microbes (WG3 + WG4)

15. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity 1 common activity within WG3 Question: Find varieties that optimise nutrient extraction from soil We collaborate in: Root development and physiology Root – Shoot allocation Microbes colonization and efficiency Modelling nutrient uptake We need: Input from WG6 and WG1 for varieties to study and ongoing field trial sites

16. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Organisation Information from WG1 and WG6 as soon as possible Interest in « special performing varieties » Extensive use of STSMs to sample, analyse and discuss samples Evtl. organisation of a « digging » workshop.

17. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Homepage minutes of WG3 meetings Method list of blackboard Presentation of participants in WG3 (short description of each p., publication list, working topic etc)..pdf files upon request Responsible for WG3: Matthias Lutz

18. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity AGENDA Meeting at Witzenhausen to refine our discussions WG meeting: Jan/Feb 05 in Switzerland – « Contributions to genotype testing » – evtl. postpone to do a practical workshop (digging) Email-allert for WG3 or discussion forum

19. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG 4 Plant-plant interactions Identification of basic topics – Weed suppression Individual varieties Mixtures – Quality aspects of mixtures

20. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Weed suppression – individual varieties Summarize what is known on this topic – Review-paper – Follow up: Jacob Weiner

21. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Weed suppression – individual varieties Competition index for selecting competitive varieties – developed in Denmark for winter wheat and spring-barley – evaluation and improvement additional observations in variety trials WG-6 – comparison with other indices Italy, Austria – Coordination: Preben Klarskov Hansen

22. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Weed suppression – individual varieties Allelopathy – Many aspects: Mechanisms: what does it affect (germination, growth) Allelochemicals Screening-procedures (medium: agar, soil) Test-species to use Land-races – modern varieties Additional effect in mixtures? – Coordination: Ulla Didon

23. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Weed suppression - mixtures Are mixtures more competitive? – Ongoing research (DK, N) – Adding a competitive cultivar to a mixture – Understand mechanisms (niche differentiation, complementarity of mechanisms) – Nordic countries applied for funding – Coordination – Lammert Bastiaans

24. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Quality-aspects of mixtures Quality important issue for acceptance – Particularly if processing is involved (baking, malting) – Is uniformity affected? – Involvement of end-users – Coordination: Stuart Swanston

25. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Other topics that came up Segregating populations – Interest in this field – Link with WG 1?

26. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity How to continue Inform potential participants on activities within WG-4 Start with developing activities and plans Discuss progress in October Workshop Plans for WG-meeting in Feb-March 2005

27. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG5: Plant-Pathogen Interactions Provide generic disease assessment protocols for breeders (WG1) & variety testing (WG6) (gen + path specific) System protocols for pathologists (WG5) Systems level information that is likely to link closely with other working groups (WGs 3 and 4) and be important includes: nutrient status, climate, morphology/canopy, seed rate, weeds, rotational position, LAI, soil type, disease complexes. Systems are defined by hierarchies of information. Therefore coordinate basic plant pathological details from : – Variety resistance ring tests – Pathogen virulence surveys (Note CPRAD) – Seed borne disease experiments Sampling, analysis and assessment protocols for diseases in heterogeneous crops is complicated and will be addressed by the group (interaction with WG2).

28. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Protocol Trial Design (WG2) Make exchange of results possible Defining regions Compare conventional with organic Method for analysis (WG2) Integration of conventional and organic Involvement of farmers and breeders How to deal with authorities WG 6 - Topics

29. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity Finalising Workplan Inventory of Protocols Conference on participatory methods Pooling and analysis of Data of Comparative trials Meeting in October (Witzenhausen) WG 6 - Next activities

30. SUSVAR: Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity WG1 Participatory Method WG2 Trial Design, Analysis Comp. Trials WG3 Nitrogen efficiency WG4 Weed competition, Mixtures WG5 Disease assessments WG 6 - Interaction