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Année |
2026 |
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Titre |
The European Organic Fruit Breeding Network Initiative: A collaborative framework for developing more robust and resilient cultivars better adapted to organic farming. |
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Abstract |
Most fruit tree cultivars currently available to European organic growers were not bred or selected under organic conditions. As a result, they are often not well adapted and lack the robustness and resilience required to perform under low-input organic farming systems (liOFS). There is therefore an urgent need to implement liOFS-based evaluation approaches and to establish dedicated breeding programmes in which cultivars are developed and evaluated under organic management, with selection focused on long-term tolerance to pests, diseases, and climatic stresses. Given the complexity and long time frame of fruit tree breeding, this challenge can only be effectively addressed through a more coordinated and collaborative European effort. To this end, the European Organic Fruit Breeding and Breeding for Organic Farming Network was established under the Horizon Europe project InnOBreed to foster cooperation among breeders, researchers, evaluators, curators, and growers engaged in developing fruit tree cultivars that are more robust, resilient, and better adapted to organic production systems.
The network is governed by a charter which defines common principles and rules for cooperation, governance, and plant material exchange. It promotes participatory breeding approaches, transparency, and equitable access to genetic resources. Plant material exchange - covering genetic resources, pre-breeding, and elite material - is organized annually through an “Exchange platform” and regulated by the FAO Standard Material Transfer Agreement to ensure traceability and legal compliance. Harmonized phenotyping protocols developed within the InnOBreed project facilitate data sharing across multiple test sites. This multi-site approach also accelerates the acquisition of robust, comparable data and supports faster yet reliable cultivar evaluation and selection.
By pooling genetic resources, expertise, and evaluation efforts across Europe, the European Organic Fruit Breeding and Breeding for Organic Farming Network aims to accelerate the development of more robust fruit cultivars that combine resilience and quality, thereby fostering the development and long-term sustainability of organic fruit production systems. |
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Editor |
FOEKO |
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Conference name |
Ecofruit. 22nd International Conference on Organic Fruit-Growing |
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Conference location |
Filderstadt, Germany |
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Volume |
2026: 9-15 |
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conference Date |
23-02-2026 |
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Type of article |
Reviewed article |
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Endnote keywords |
Organic breeding, Participatory breeding, Collaborative breeding, Fruit tree genetic resources, Plant material exchange |
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Endnote Keywords |
Organic breeding, Participatory breeding, Collaborative breeding, Fruit tree genetic resources, Plant material exchange |
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Author address |
Rue de Liroux, 4 B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium |
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Auteurs |
B. Dumont , T.B. Toldam-Andersen , M. Ristel , N. Oeser , M. Korsgaard , Y. Isler , N. Bolliger , I. Sattler , J-M. Audergon & M. Lateur |
