Summary
This narrative review synthesises evidence from two decades of European organic wheat breeding programmes to establish the agronomic, processing, and nutritional trait combinations required for optimal performance in organic farming systems. The authors argue that modern varieties developed for conventional high-input systems lack the necessary combination of traits—particularly nutrient use efficiency from organic inputs, weed competitiveness, and disease resistance—and that conventional breeding protocols require substantial revision to serve organic production. The review provides evidence-based guidance on which traits and trait combinations should be prioritised in future organic-focused wheat breeding programmes.
UK applicability
Findings are directly applicable to UK organic farming practice, as the UK participates in European organic farming systems and has established breeding programmes for organic wheat. The review's conclusions on trait prioritisation and comparative variety performance will inform UK organic farmer variety selection and breeding priorities, particularly for mills and bakers serving the organic sector.
Key measures
Nutrient use efficiency, weed competitiveness, pest and disease resistance, processing quality parameters (milling and baking performance), and nutritional quality; comparative performance metrics between conventional, traditional, and organic-breeding-focused wheat varieties
Outcomes reported
The review examined evidence comparing the performance of wheat varieties developed for conventional versus organic/low-input farming systems, assessing agronomic traits, processing quality, and nutritional parameters. It synthesised findings from variety trials and factorial field experiments conducted over 20+ years of European organic wheat breeding programmes.
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