b"YOU ARE MYTH TAKENTHE SEED SECTORCOMPILED BY MARCEL BRUINSMYTH: MODERN VARIETIES HAVE DECREASED THEMYTH: WE DONT NEED PLANT BREEDING, DIVERSITY WITHIN CROPS IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IS FACT:It depends on what you measure. If one decides to lookENOUGHat the number landraces at a country level, then one can seeFACT: With an increasing population, climatic change, a chang-a decrease. But this is not the right way to measure diversity.ing diet and a strong push towards more sustainability, we will There are several developments which lead to a greater diversityneed to produce more on less acreage. We know that yield within crops. One is that pathogens keep mutating, breakingincrease is broadly based on two components: genetic improve-through genetic resistances. So, breeders need to include morement (better varieties) and agronomic improvement (fertilizer, and more diverse resistance genes. This is combined with alwayscrop protection products, machinery, cold chain etc.). Several changing wishes of consumers towards a more diverse palate.research projects have shown that up to a certain optimum level Just look at the diversity in cherry tomatoes in your local super- the agronomic improvements can contribute to about 50 per market for example. We can now find a lot of different varieties,cent of the yield increase, with the other half caused by genetic from yellow, orange, red, brown and purple, to round and ellipticimprovement. But at a certain point the optimum for agronomic varieties. Or look at carrots: we now see not only orange carrots,improvements is reached and adding more fertilizer or crop but also white, yellow, red and purple varieties. This was not theprotection products would work counterproductive. From that case a few decades ago. point onwards, the genetic improvements will be more and more Many recent studies, using DNA markers, show the same: aimportant in causing a yield increase and other improvements.comparison of the main varieties of the past 50 to 60 years showsA NIAB study from 2008 looked at yield for wheat, barley, that genetic diversity was quantitatively unchanged and evenoats in the past six decades. They examined the yield data of 300 showing more diversity among modern varieties. This increasevarieties, from 3,600 trials, and collected 53,000 data points. In was found in many crops. The successful incorporation andthe period from 1947-1986 around 50 per cent of yield increase re-mixing of genetic diversity from crop relatives has createdcould be attributed to plant breeding. And the rest to fertilizers, varieties containing more variation than has ever been availablecrop protection products, crop husbandry and machinery. But to farmers. since 1982 around 90 per cent of all yield increase was due to introduction of new varieties causing yield to rise from 5t/ha MYTH: CONTEMPORARY PLANT VARIETIES AREto 8t/ha.NOT SUITABLE FOR LOW-INPUT FARMING Plant breeding allows us to adapt plants and develop new FACT:Most scientific studies, both in developed and developingplant varieties so that we can maintain and increase productivity nations, demonstrate that this is untrue. In fact, because theywhile also improving product quality in the face of changing utilise nitrogen more effectively than their forebears, modernclimatic, agricultural, and market conditions. Plant breeding varieties generally outperformed local kinds. Additionally, theyhas significantly contributed to reducing the environmental are more disease resistant. The benefits of modern varieties arefootprint of plant production, increasing product diversity, and not linked to any certain application or subject. Instead, theyimproving agriculture's economic situation.represent ongoing efforts in breeding for traits like drought tol- It is critical to continue developing new varieties in order to erance, superior farming techniques, and resistance to diseasemeet farmer needs, market demands, and consumer demands. and pests, just to name a few. Scientists have significantly con- Mankind has developed fruit and vegetables with desired char-tributed to the appeal, accessibility, and benefits of contempo- acteristics such as colour, shape, size, and taste by domesticating rary crop technology for farmers and consumers worldwide bywild species. Finally, plant breeding contributes to the feeding lowering the volatility in maize and wheat grain yields. of future generations by ensuring a sustainable, nutritious food supply. Without plant breeding, there would be no variety or quality in todays marketplace. 12IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM"