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Plant breeding vital for sustainable agriculture – ADAS study

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Publish time: 9th June, 2015      Source: United Kingdom
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Plant breeding vital for sustainable agriculture – ADAS studyPlant breeding vital for sustainable agriculture – ADAS study" title="Share this link on Facebook">United KingdomJune 9, 2015Review of the objectives of modern plant breeding and their relation to sustainabilityBy developing crop varieties with higher yields, improved resource useefficiency and reduced environmental impact, plant breeding is a majorcontributor to meeting the goals of sustainability in agriculture, according to anindependent review published today.Agricultural consultants ADAS assessed the contribution of modern plantbreeding to sustainability in agriculture. With a focus on UK and EU plantbreeding in key food and forage crops over the past 10 years, ADASconducted a systematic review of published scientific literature and otherinformation sources – comprising more than 250 individual citations in total.The study found that innovation in plant breeding provides a vital foundationto address multiple sustainability goals, and is a major contributor to raisingyields, increasing resource use efficiency and reducing the negativeenvironmental impacts of food production.Presenting the ADAS study, lead author Rebecca Carter said:“Our review found that the main focus of commercial plant breeding in thepast 10 years has been on enhancing and protecting yield in major arablecrops, so driving greater production from the same amount of land - a keyrequirement of sustainable intensification. Alongside selection for physicalyield, the development of varieties with improved standing ability, better endusequality and enhanced pest and disease resistance support this objectiveby reducing harvest losses and wastage in the supply chain. An emphasis onyield also contributes to sustainability objectives by improving the efficiency ofland, input, nutrient and water use per unit of production, as well as deliveringimportant environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissionsand protection of soil health and water quality.”Key findings of the ADAS review commissioned by BSPB are summarised inthe following table, which highlights breeding advances already deliveringimpact in the market place (blue boxes), as well as key areas of plantbreeding where research is in the pipeline or where further R&D investment isrequired (green boxes).Welcoming the study, BSPB chairman Dr Richard Summers said:“The concept of ‘sustainable intensification’ in agriculture – producing moreoutput per unit of resource and environmental impact – is widely establishedas the necessary response to Sir John Beddington’s ‘perfect storm’ ofpopulation growth, climate change and declining natural resources. Less clearis precisely what this means in practice for different product sectors andfarming systems.”“Unpacking the components of sustainability is the starting point fordeveloping new metrics in agriculture, paving the way for common, agreeddefinitions of what sustainable intensification means in practical terms – sothat we can benchmark current performance, measure improvements overtime, understand the best technologies, farming systems and practices todeliver it, and use all that information to frame the R&D agenda goingforward.”“This comprehensive report from ADAS makes a valuable contribution to thatprocess, and clearly demonstrates the role of plant breeding innovation as amajor contributor to more sustainable farming systems.”Review of the objectives of modern plant breeding and their relation to sustainabilityMore news from: BSPB - British Society of Plant Breeders*Website: http://www.bspb.co.ukPublished: June 9, 2015The news item on this page is copyright by the organization where it originatedFair use notice