Development of breeding strategies for environmentally friendly agriculture – one of the major research goals in Priekuli Arta Kronberga, Linda Legzdina, Aina Kokare State Priekuli Plant Breeding Institute Vienošanās Nr. 2009/0218/1DP/ /09/APIA/VIAA/099

“ Development, improvement and implementation of environmentally friendly and sustainable crop breeding technologies” European Social Fund co-financed project Main goal: To create group of researchers for joint and comprehensive research

Number of organic farms in 2011

Main focus on breeding for organic farming Project partners:  State Priekuli Plant Breeding Institute  State Stende Cereal Breeding Institute  University of Latvia, Faculty of Biology Faculty of Medicine Crops:  potato, winter wheat, oat, barley, winter triticale, rye

Main research activities 1. Development of methods for evaluation of breeding material 2. Evaluation of selection efficiency in breeding for organic farming if selection is done under organic or under conventional growing conditions 3. Association mapping of important traits and development of molecular markers (barley) 4. Evaluation of efficiency of genetic diversity in breeding for organic farming (mixtures and populations of different genotypes, barley and winter wheat)

Main research activities (in detail) 1. Development of methods for evaluation of breeding material:  Detection of resistance to diseases and pests, including MAS and pyramiding of resistance genes (potato, barley)  Competitiveness against weeds (cereals)  Nutrient use efficiency  Plant development rate (potato)  Stability and adaptability of yield in different growing conditions (field trials in 2-3 locations in Latvia, in organic and conventional growing conditions)  Identification of biologically active compounds essential for human health – vitamins, amino-acids, fatty acids, beta-glucans, glycoalkaloids, lunasin etc. (comparison between organic/conventional farming);  Possibilities to use NIR technologies in selection: cooperation with Jõgeva PBI

Some preliminary research results Elaborated or adapted methodologies for MAS:  Potato resistance to late blight (R1 and R3 resistance genes)  Potato resistance to nematodes (G. Rostochiensis, H1 un Gro1 resistance genes)  Barley resistance to powdery mildew (pyramiding of mlo and Mla genes)

Some preliminary research results Detection of lunasin in cereals:  a novel, cancer-preventive, anti- inflammatory and cholesterol- reducing 43-amino-acid peptide  Purpose of study: to compare content of lunasin in different cereal species as well as to evaluate lunasin level in barley grown in organic and conventional farming systems  Triticale was the most lunasin-rich cereal, displaying the lunasin content from 0.42 to 6.46 mg g -1 of grain

Some preliminary research results Plant traits providing competitive ability against weeds:

Some preliminary research results Development of molecular markers through association mapping:  Phenotyping of 154 diverse barley genotypes: 2 organic, 2 conventional environments, 3 years  Genotyping  Traits relevant for organic farming: early vigour, plant growth habit, leaf attitude, ability to form yield and accumulate protein in grain under organic farming, infection with diseases etc.  Association mapping: on the way

Some preliminary research results Barley resistance to Fusarium head blight: phenotyping of RIL mapping population: Frequency distribution of FHB severity, % (2010) and FHB progress, AUDPC (2011) of the RIL population Fontana/ND 1646

Some preliminary research results Populations and mixtures: no clear advantages under organic farming conditions found after 2 year trials

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