Organic vegetable variety trials have been carried out by HDRA in conjunction with NIAB (the National institute for Agricultural Botany), since 1991. The trials have covered 21 vegetable and salad crops and hundreds of varieties.
Earlier this year Defra announced that they would no longer fund these trials beyond the end of March.
With a growing market and increasing insistence on the use of organic seed it could be argued that the need for organic variety trials is as great now as ever. The need for good varieties, independently tested, will continue to form the starting point for reliable, healthy produce. Plant pathogens mutate and plant resistances break down so it is vital to bring fresh breeding material to growers.
The withdrawal of funding brought a storm of protest from growers. The OGA, Soil Association and the NFU wrote letters to Defra. A petition organised by Jill Vaughan of Delfland Nurseries was sent to Lord Rooker, the minister responsible, with 241 signatures from organic growers in support of continuing Defra funding for the trials. It was signed on behalf of businesses of all sizes from the biggest salad growers and packers in the UK to growers who have just started selling through a local box scheme and/or farmers markets The response from Defra has been that although the trials have ‘provided good value for money over the years in recommending suitable varieties for UK growing conditions…the changing emphasis in Defra’s policy focus has produced new research requirements relating to “public goods” associated with environmental sustainability and reducing the environmental footprint of farming.’ With a limited budget there has been a reduction in Defra sponsoring of work underpinning food production and they argued there is a need for the industry itself to focus on the more commercial aspects. The future emphasis they say will be on plant breeding for organic and low-input systems.
An initial application to the Horticultural Development Council (HDC), for funding was unsuccessful. Jill Vaughan said ‘I am disappointed with the lack of funding from Defra and the HDC. There is clear support from organic growers from both the petition and the workshops at the recent stakeholder day at HDRA. Hopefully future planning will take on board the growers’ research and development priorities’.
The new NIAB Organic Vegetable Handbook (2007), published in April 2007 contains information on 446 varieties currently available as organic or untreated seed, encompassing 21 organic vegetable crops. Copies are available free to HDC members Tel: 01732 848383. Otherwise they cost £15 from Mike Day at NIAB Tel: 01223 342200 www.niab.com/shop