Organic seed

The main problems in organic seed production are nutrient management, disease and pest management, and weed control. Among the seedborne diseases in particular require special attention. To reduce the risk of disease infestation, optimal climatic conditions and thus the location for seed production can be important (Dornbusch et al. 1992 Velema 2004). In some cases seed production should be located in warmer and drier climates, away from the areas of origin and destination. 

For some crops there is no problem in meeting the quality standards as required for conventional seeds, but in some cases the thresholds for seedborne diseases are adjusted (Nielsen 2003 Lammerts van Bueren et al. 2003a Girsch and Weinhappel 2004). In some countries the recommended tolerances or thresholds for some diseases are lowered. In Austria, for instance, the threshold for Fusarium nivale has been adjusted from 20% in conventional agriculture to 10% for the organic sector. In the Netherlands, the level of permitted contamination in organic seed potato has been lowered from 25% (conventional) to 10%. A lower threshold is also set in other diseases, for example, in Austria, 10% is permitted for Septoria nodorum in cereals, compared with 20% previously. 

Girsch, L. and Weinhappel, M. 2004. Specific seed health standards for organic cereal seed. In Lammerts van Bueren, E.T., Ranganathan, R. and Sorensen, N. (eds) Proceedings of the First World IFOAM/ISF/FAO Conference on Organic Seed - Perspectives, Challenges and Opportunities. Rome, Italy, 5-7 July 2004. IFOAM, Bonn. pp. 79-83. 

IFOAM 2004. Final Report from the First World Conference on Organic Seed. events/reports/seed conference.html>. Accessed 27/1/06. 

Muller, K.J., Kunz, P., Spiess, H., Heyden, B., Irion, E. and Karutz, C. 2000. An overnational cereal circuit for developing locally adapted organic seeds of wheat. In Alfbldi, T., Lockeretz, W. and Niggli, U. (eds) Proceedings of the 13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference. Hochschulverlag ETH, Zurich, p. 224. 

Neeson, R. and Howell, G. 2003. National Organic Seed and Seedling Production Workshops... 

FAO I FOAM and ISF (2004) Report of the First World Conference on Organic seed.- Challenges and opportunities for the organic agriculture and the seed industry.-FAO, Rome 5-7 July 2004. 

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