b"amateurs. These are highly technicalyield levels as the conventional varieties. growers, which use a lot of modern tech- Sometimes, it can take a bit more time, niques in growing their crops. Just thinkbut there are no reasons why this should of tractors with GPS and guidance sys- not be possible, says Degreef.tems, highly advanced hoeing equipment,For Fargier-Puech, the issue is clear. drip irrigation. These growers also wantYes, the vegetable varieties produced in and need these high standards, he adds. organic farming can be productive with For Weijland, organic varieties aregood yield potential. In this range, our able to reach the yield levels of conven- company proposes numerous varieties tional (non-organic) varieties. Becauseadapted to organic farming and giving conventional and organic varieties sharevery good yield potential, with yield being the same selection base, we can add spe- still one of the key agronomic criteria that cific traits without losing yield potential,we're looking for in breeding, she says.he says. For Williams its straightforward. Vitalis is part of Enza Zaden, andOur organic customers expect the same according to van Diemen this combinationhigh quality of seed they experience in is a very interesting one, as it combinesour untreated, conventional De Ruiter the best of both worlds. In Enkhuizen theand Seminis products. Similarly, they mother company Enza Zaden is workingwant the same strong agronomics and with state-of-the-art plant breeding tech- fruit quality to enable competitive yields nologies. And here at Vitalis we apply theand deliver premium products.organic approach. There is reciprocal syn-ergy: we are able to use molecular mark- Editors Note: This was Part 1 of how ers, and other high technology proceduresvegetable breeders are handling the in our organic breeding programs. Andrise in organic varieties. Part 2 will the conventional breeders can benefittalk about the time it takes to create a from the knowledge that is generated bynew variety, risks for the grower and our organic breeders, he says.how best to make investment decisions. For KWS, it is in principle possibleMake sure to check it out in the nextBram Weijland. Source Bejo Zadenthat the organic varieties reach the sameissue of European Seed. ArtemisDrill control systemAn ISOBUS-compliant multi-channel electric drive system, providing the control and monitoring requirements of the modern seed drill.Do you want to learn more? Visit topconpositioning.com/farm-your-wayEUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 27"