Seeds of Success

Seed selection is a critical factor in determining the success of any agricultural endeavor. High-quality seeds can significantly impact crop yield, sustainability, and production quality.

Welcome to this new edition of Horti-Gen Insights, your trusted source for cutting-edge developments in horticulture and genetics. As we navigate an era of unprecedented climate challenges, the importance of seed selection and breeding innovations has never been more critical.

In this issue, we're thrilled to bring you exclusive insights from Jean-Marie (Jim) Rozec, a renowned seed expert with Voltz Maraîchage, who shares his knowledge on how climate change reshapes the seed industry and agricultural practices.

What We Are Covering Today:

1. Climate Change: A New Frontier for Seed Development

2. Technological Breakthroughs: The Future of Seed Breeding

3. Combating Pests and Diseases: An Ongoing Challenge

4. Sustainability: The New Imperative in Seed Development

5. Short-Cycle Crops: Meeting Market Demands in a Changing Climate

6. The Fragmented Market of Vegetable Breeding

7. Conclusion: Seeding the Future of Agriculture

8. Complementary sources

CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate Change: A New Frontier for Seed Development

The impact of climate change on agriculture is becoming increasingly evident, and seed companies are at the forefront of adaptation strategies. Rozec explains, "Most breeder field selection steps are now conducted in grower conditions. For instance, in California, where severe drought conditions are more frequent, varieties naturally adapted to these trial conditions emerge from the selection process."

This shift in approach is not just reactive but also proactive. Rozec notes that government incentives are now in place to develop climate-resilient varieties, indicating a growing recognition of the need for seeds that can thrive in changing environments. These initiatives are crucial in ensuring food security in the face of unpredictable weather patterns and extreme events.

FUTURE OF SEED BREEDING
Technological Breakthroughs: The Future of Seed Breeding

The seed industry is experiencing a technological revolution, with molecular markers, gene editing, and AI-driven breeding at the forefront. Rozec emphasizes that plant breeding is "an art of compromise," balancing various traits to meet the diverse needs of the entire value chain – from growers to consumers.

"Over the last decades, technology has tremendously increased breeding capacities," Rozec states. "Molecular markers techniques are used daily for predictive breeding, increasing accuracy and speed while reducing the need for extensive field trials."

He elaborates on the complexity of breeding, noting that each variety comprises several traits with advantages and disadvantages depending on where you are in the value chain. Rozec offers an illustrative example: "Consider the sugar content in melons. Consumers generally prefer sweetness and flavor, but shippers and retailers dealing with long distances between production and consumption prioritize long shelf-life. These requirements are often at odds, as high sugar content reduces conservation."

While GMOs have seen limited application in vegetables due to market fragmentation and regulatory hurdles, gene editing is gaining traction. Rozec cites the 2021 introduction of a gene-edited tomato with high GABA content in Japan as an example of this technology's potential. "Gene editing, based on techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, allows for more precise DNA modification without introducing foreign DNA. It's proving effective in developing disease and stress resistance, improving flavor quality, and enhancing nutritional content," he explains.

Looking to the future, Rozec is optimistic about AI's role: "AI tools offer tremendous potential to analyze large quantities of data and predict best combinations, accelerating the development of improved varieties."

FACING CHALLENGES
Combating Pests and Diseases: An Ongoing Challenge

Disease resistance remains a top priority for seed breeders. Rozec highlights recent successes in developing resistant varieties for lettuce, spinach, and basil against downy mildew (Bremia Lactucae). He also points to the rapid response to the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), which emerged in 2015.

"Since 2021, we've seen an increasing number of commercial varieties with good resistance to this virus, demonstrating the industry's ability to respond quickly to new threats," Rozec explains. "Compared to the time needed in the past to bring resistance to commercial varieties, this is a remarkably short timeline, proving the capacity of breeders to develop new varieties faster."

Pest management is also being addressed through breeding. Rozec notes that physical plant characteristics, such as increased leaf hair on tomatoes, can provide natural pest resistance. "Insects are sensitive to chemical or physical reactions to plants. More hair on tomatoes, for example, can prevent pests from attacking and increase resistance compared to other varieties," he elaborates.

NEW DEMANDS
Sustainability: The New Imperative in Seed Development

As demand for sustainable farming practices grows, seed companies are rising to the challenge. Rozec emphasizes that companies inherently offer more sustainable solutions by addressing pest and disease management through breeding. "We're also developing varieties that use fewer resources like water and are adaptable to wider climate windows," he adds.

For Graines Voltz, Rozec's company, this includes focusing on bolting resistance in herbs like dill and coriander for summer production and warmer locations. They're also expanding their organic seed certification to meet the growing demand from organic producers.

"By solving pest and disease management issues, vegetable breeders offer good solutions to growers across the board," Rozec states. "There's also the ability to develop varieties using fewer resources like water or adaptable to wider windows of climates."

EVOLVING DEMAND
Short-Cycle Crops: Meeting Market Demands in a Changing Climate

With increasing interest in maximizing yields within shorter growing seasons, Rozec sees a trend toward fast-cycle, high-density crops, particularly in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and vertical farming.

"CEA, particularly vertical farming, is a focus for Graines Voltz," Rozec explains. "With high CAPEX, there's an advantage to fast cycles and high densities. In these conditions, we tend to select varieties with compact growth habits and fast development to match the need for high yields."

He also highlights the growing importance of traits like parthenocarpy – the ability to develop fruit without pollination. "Parthenocarpy became common for cucumber varieties over the last decades. It's definitely a trait of interest for other vegetables to allow pollination in difficult conditions like hot, high humidity environments and for producing seedless fruit," Rozec notes.

LOOKING AT THE MARKET
The Fragmented Market of Vegetable Breeding

Rozec emphasizes the complexity of the vegetable breeding market, explaining why certain technologies, like GMOs, are less prevalent in vegetables than in broadacre crops. Because vegetable breeding is so fragmented, using capital and regulatory-heavy techniques like GMO is less common in the vegetable world than for broadacre crops that benefit from larger sales potential for a proven variety," he states.

He further elaborates on the multitude of factors that influence variety selection: "Add on top of that for each vegetable crop large variation in growing conditions (season, latitude, climate, soil, growing techniques, organic vs. conventional, disease presence…) and consumer preference (on a country level, region, groups, eating preference…), and you can easily map the never-ending task of variety creation. It is a fragmented market where multiple varieties can be selected as the best cultivar to use depending on the abovementioned factors."

CONCLUDING NOTES
Conclusion: Seeding the Future of Agriculture

As we conclude this edition of Horti-Gen Insights, the seed industry is clearly at the forefront of agricultural innovation, actively responding to the challenges posed by climate change. By combining traditional breeding techniques with cutting-edge technologies, companies like Graines Voltz and his branch Voltz Maraîchage are paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future.

Jean-Marie Rozec's insights underscore the seed industry's complexity and dynamism. From adapting to climate change and leveraging new technologies to addressing pest and disease challenges and meeting the growing demand for sustainability, seed companies are playing a crucial role in shaping the future of agriculture.

The seed industry will continue to evolve, driven by technological advancements, changing environmental conditions, and shifting market demands. The ability to develop varieties that are not only high-yielding but also resilient to climate stresses, pest-resistant, and aligned with sustainable farming practices will be key to ensuring global food security in the years to come.

TO FURTHER THE CONVERSATION
Complementary Sources

Macova, K., et al. (2021). "Effects of Heat on Seed Development in Brassica napus." Frontiers in Plant Science. This study provides detailed insights into how heat affects seed development in canola, which is highly relevant to the newsletter's focus on climate change impacts on seed production. https://www.ceitec.eu/how-climate-change-affects-seed-development/t10991

Finch-Savage, W.E., & Bassel, G.W. (2022). "Seed germination and vigor: ensuring crop sustainability under climate change." Nature Reviews Genetics. This comprehensive review discusses the effects of climate change on seed vigor and germination, offering valuable information on maintaining crop sustainability.

Sita, K., et al. (2023). "Climate Change Impacts on Seed Production and Quality: current knowledge, implications, and mitigation strategies." Research Gate publication. This recent review summarizes the current understanding of climate change's effects on seed production and quality, providing a broader perspective on the topic.