Progress 09/15/04 to 09/14/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Organic Seed Partnership (OSP) project has created a strong national network emphasizing participatory approaches to develop and deliver commercial quality seed of improved vegetable varieties for organic agricultural production systems. Key components of the project included trialing, breeding and outreach. Over the course of the project a over 290 varieties (29 crops) and nearly 300 breeding lines/populations (12 crops) were evaluated in observational and replicated trials on cooperating grower, university-based and seed company organic farms. Seed for trialing was donated by the private sector (11 seed companies), public sector (4 institutions) and organic growers (12 grower-breeders). Most on-farm trialing activity occurred in the NE (179 farms) with a significant number of grower participants at our national trialing locations (38 farms). Replicated trials of advanced breeding lines, newly released and standard varieties were completed on organic research farms at Alcorn State, Cornell, NMSU, OSU, UC Davis, WSU and on-farm in NY and WV. Final trial results will be distributed to cooperators and/or posted on the OSP website http://www.plbr.cornell.edu/psi/OSP%20home.htm. Cucurbit and pepper breeding work at Cornell focused on the development of broad disease resistance, improved product quality and adaptation. Breeding at OSU focused on the late blight resistance in tomato, OP broccoli adapted to organic systems, disease resistance, improved flavor and type in summer squash. OSP public breeders worked closely with grower-breeders who provided over 230 breeding lines/populations of broccoli, cucumber, melon, pepper, summer and winter squash, to public breeders, seed companies and other growers for further breeding and/or evaluation. As a direct result of these activities a number of organically bred varieties are listed, or soon to be listed, in seed company catalogs (3 early red CMV tolerant OP bell peppers, 3 novel PMT mini-butternuts and 1 PMR small white cucumber), are finished and available (6 novelty PMR summer squash, 4 melons and 3 white cucumbers), or will be available next year (3 OP broccoli populations, 2-3 cherry and slicer tomatoes with improved late blight resistance, 1-2 bush Tromboncino summer squash). OSP collaborators sponsored or participated in a total of 66 outreach and education events in 10 states, primarily in the NE by NOFA-NY and PGRU. These events held on grower farms, research farms and at regional conferences included workshops, demos and presentations on breeding basics, pollination techniques, seed production, seed cleaning and saving methods, taste testing and farm tours. Outreach activities reached over 4500 interested farmers, gardeners and members of the public one-on-one and many thousands more at 5 national and 8 regional conferences. Training and educational materials on breeding and seed saving are readily available on the OSP website which has served as an effective outreach mechanism with more than 4,800 hits by over 3,500 stakeholders in 81 countries. Valuable feedback on OSP activities was gathered from 111 grower participants in a 2007 survey performed by NOFA-NY. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
OSP objectives addressed three critical linkages in the chain that begins when a grower plants a seed and ends at the supper table. First, the partnership has worked to expedite the cooperation between breeders across sectors (farmers, seed companies, public sector) working on organically managed ground to develop locally adapted varieties. This cooperation served to break the typically one way flow of varieties from breeder/seed company to grower thereby facilitating development of the best adapted material while ensuring that grower priorities were being met. As an indicator of this enhanced cooperation, the NOFA-NY grower survey found that 79% of responders would be willing to establish a relationship with seed companies to perform on-farm variety trails. Second, the partnership worked to establish farm-based trialing networks at the regional hubs to evaluate and identify promising new vegetable varieties. While the most success was seen in the NE, where the combined efforts of NOFA-NY, USDA-ARS PGRU and Cornell facilitated a high-level of grower engagement, strong connections on a smaller but just as passionate scale were also made between public institutions at the other trialing hubs and their grower communities, particularly in NM and WV. In the NE, grower survey feedback indicated 88% of responders found the trialing of new varieties useful and many wished to participate in this activity in future projects. Seventy-nine percent indicated they are more likely to trial new varieties as a result of the project and 30% indicated they had identified new seed companies they will continue to buy seed from. Seventy-six percent of survey responders identified a total of 122 varieties as true "winners", varieties that they will continue to grow as standards on their farms, thereby enhancing overall success and profitability. Many more found varieties they would grow again for further evaluation. Third, through extensive outreach activities the partnership directly reached grower cooperators who did not have breeding or seed growing capacity or desired to enhance this capacity. Of NOFA survey responders, 82% actively practiced seed saving and 55% of this group indicated that OSP activities improved their capacity to save seed. Twenty-six percent of survey responders actively practiced breeding and 56% of this group indicated that OSP activities enhanced their ability to perform breeding. Many growers indicated that the project had enhanced their ability to evaluate new varieties by improving their observational skills and record-keeping. These enhanced skills and knowledge will have a long-lasting and positive impact on continued farm-based efforts to address the need for locally adapted varieties and high quality organic seed, which in turn will improve the health and viability of organic farming operations. At the termination of the project there was clearly demonstrated enthusiasm in continuance of the project among grower participants as well as among growers who were only informally exposed to OSP activities. The success of the project is largely attributable to the integrated and participatory nature of the effort.

Publications

• Dyck, E. 2006. Participation and Projects Grow in the Organic Seed Partnership, Organic Farms, Folks, and Foods, Spring 2006.
• Dyck, E. 2006. Information Shared- and Generated- at 2006 OSP On-Farm Workshops Organic Farms, Folks, and Foods, Fall 2006.
• Dyck, E. 2005. The Extraordinary All around Us: Farmer Breeders and Seed Savers Visited during the 2005 Season, Organic Farms, Folks, and Foods, Fall 2005.
• Mazourek, M , Moriarty, G , Glos, M , Henderson, E , Rumore, D , Palmer, G, Chickering, A , Murphy, J , Fink, M , Kreitinger, M , Kramer, C, Myers, J. 2009. 'Peacework': An early red bell pepper for organic systems with Cucumber mosaic virus resistance. HortScience. In review.
• Mendum, R. 2009. Cyborg Subjectivity: Decoding the agency of domesticated food crops. Subjectivity. Accepted.
• Mendum, Ruth. 2009. Facilitating Organic Varieties: Participatory Plant Breeding in the Northeastern US. Special issue on Subjecting the Objective: Participation, Sustainability, and Agri-food Research. Submitted.
• Chinthakuntla, R., Mentreddy, R.S., Igbowke, P., Jackson, F.D., Matta, F.B., Reddy, O.U.K., Jahn, M., Licata, L. and Keltra, S.D. 2006. Evaluation of different types of mulches for organic production of cucumbers. Mississippi Academy of Science 51(1):25 (Abstract).

Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07

Outputs
The Organic Seed Partnership (OSP) project has created a strong national network emphasizing participatory approaches to develop and deliver commercial quality seed of improved vegetable varieties for organic agricultural production systems. In 2007, seed of 136 vegetable varieties and 62 experimental lines (total 28 crops) was donated by Fedco, Flander's Bay Farm (NY), Frosty Morning Farm (NY), Genesis Seeds, Green Dragon Farm (CT), Harris Seeds, High Mowing, Johnny's, Seeds of Change, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Territorial, Turtle Tree, Cornell, OSU and USDA-ARS PGRU to cooperating organic growers and university-based organic farms in 21 states. The experimental material included a broad array of crops - cucumbers, melons, onions, peppers, tomatoes, summer and winter squash from Cornell, OP broccoli and tomato from OSU, tomatillos from PGRU, celtuce, melon, pumpkin, pepper and summer and winter squash from Flander's Bay Farm (NY) and tomato and winter squash from Green Dragon Farm (CT), which illustrates the magnitude and breadth of our participatory breeding effort. Most on-farm trialing activity occurred in the NE, but in 2007 there was a significant increase in the number of grower participants at our national trialing locations. A total of 175 farmers/gardeners received seed of over 185 varieties/lines. Trial results were distributed to cooperators and will be posted the OSP website http://www.plbr.cornell.edu/psi/OSP%20home.htm. Replicated trials of experimental material, newly released and standard varieties of pepper, cucumbers, onions and winter squash were completed on organic research farms at Cornell, UC Davis, WA, WSU and on-farm NY and WV. Observational trials of improved released varieties were also conducted at these sites. Cucurbit and pepper breeding work continues at Cornell with the emphasis on developing broad disease resistance, improved product quality and adaptation to diverse environments. Breeding at OSU continues to focus on the development of late blight resistance in tomato, breeding for OP broccoli adapted to organic systems and for disease resistance, improved flavor and type in summer squash. Outreach and education events were also held in 2007 to further develop organic growers' capacity to both breed their own vegetable varieties and produce commercial grade lots of organically grown seed. In the Northeast, NOFA-NY, PGRU and Cornell sponsored 12 outreach and education events, including public taste-testing and workshops held on farms and at research stations that demonstrated breeding basics, pollination techniques, and seed production and cleaning methods to interested farmers, gardeners, and members of the public. Reaching beyond the NE, OSP collaborators participated in the SSAWG (KY), NM Organic Farming (NM) and PASA (PA) conferences, held breeding workshops at the MOSES conference (WI) and at the Raymond Experiment Station (MS, and conducted field days at Alcorn State, MS State and UCDavis (CA). Training and educational materials on these breeding and seed saving have also been made readily available on the OSP website.

Impacts
The OSP aims to address critical linkages in the chain that begins when a grower plants a seed and ends at the supper table. The partnership has worked to expedite the cooperation, where desired, between breeders across sectors (farmers, seed companies, public sector) working on organically managed ground to develop locally adapted varieties. The OSP has decentralized vegetable breeding by breaking the typically one way flow of varieties from breeder/seed company to grower. In 2007, grower-managed on-farm breeding activities contributed 66 breeding lines - 53 pepper, 5 pumpkin, 2 summer squash, 2 melon, 1 tomato, 1 winter squash, 1 celtuce and at least 1 OP broccoli population to public breeders and other growers for further evaluation. Furthermore, public breeders have utilized the OSP on-farm trialing network to gather performance data on their breeding material (a total of 45 breeding lines) from a wide variety of environments and growing conditions thereby enhancing their ability to select the best adapted material for release. One new variety, a early, CMV tolerant, sweet OP red bell pepper named Peacework pepper, has already been released through our participatory breeding efforts and is currently available from one seed company. Other breeding projects are close to fruition and at the termination of this project in 2008 it is expected that there will be an additional early, CMV tolerant, sweet, OP red pepper, a disease resistant white cucumber, a PMT novelty summer squash, two disease resistant heirloom melons and an advanced OP broccoli population suitable for release. In addition to ongoing farmer-breeder activities in the NE, we initiated our first on-farm breeding and selection activities in WV, which was well received by participating growers. Linkages have been strengthened between seed companies and growers as well. To date, 130 (74%) growers identified 219 new varieties as winners that they will grow again on their farms, enhancing the productivity of their farms and quality for the consumer. In addition, a survey of 108 NOFA growers indicated 80% of respondents would be willing to do more on-farm trailing for seed companies, 89% are more likely to try new varieties and 33% identified new seed companies that they had not used before. The partnership has actively engaged organic communities through our extensive outreach and education efforts. In 2007 our outreach activities reached nearly over 6,000 organic growers and other stakeholders through breeding and seed production and cleaning workshops, demonstrations and presentations at conferences held in 10 states. This included several events in underserved communities; in MS a workshop with over 70 participants and two field days with close to 450 participants, in KY a booth visited by over 500 participants and in NM a workshop and presentation reaching over 270 participants. Our website has also served as an effective outreach mechanism with more than 3,000 hits by stakeholders in 81 countries. This represents a 2,000 hit, 24 country increase since 2006.

Publications

• Myers, J., and D. Kean. 2007. Breeding open pollinated (OP) broccoli cultivars for organic production systems. Hortscience. 42:813 (Abstract). (podcast available at http://ashs.org/resources/horttalks/detail.lasso?id=137) (invited presentation)
• Boches, P., Kuslowa, P., Kean, D. and Myers, J. 2007. Vegetable Variety Trials 2006. OSUES http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/em/em8777-06-e.pdf
• Colley, M.R. and Myers, J.R. 2007. On-farm variety trials: A guide for organic vegetable, herb,and flower producers. Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, WA. http://www.seedalliance.org/uploads/pdf/OVTguide.pdf.
• Dyck, E. 2007. The Organic Seed Partnership Project in its Final Year. Organic Farms, Folks, and Foods, NOFA-NY summer newsletter
• Miles, C., Granatstein, D., Huggins, D., Jones, S. and Myers, J. 2007. Making the Conversion to Sustainable Agroecosystems: Principles, Processes, and Practices. CRC Press Advances in Agroecology Series. Pacific Northwest USA. In: Stephen R. Gliessman, Martha Rosemeyer, and Sean Swezey (editors). (in press).

Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
The Organic Seed Partnership (OSP) project has created a strong national network emphasizing participatory approaches to develop and deliver commercial quality seed of improved vegetable varieties for organic agricultural production systems. In 2006, seed of 193 vegetable varieties and experimental lines (30 crops) was donated by Fedco, Flander's Bay Farm, High Mowing, Johnny's, Rupp, Seeds by Design, Seeds of Change, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Territorial, Turtle Tree, Cornell, OSU and USDA-ARS PGRU and USDA-ARS Salinas, CA to cooperating organic growers and university-based organic farms in CA, CT, MA, MS, NY, NM, OH, OR, PA, VT, WI and WV. Most on-farm trialing activity occurred in the NE, but in 2006 there was a substantial increase in the number of grower participants at our national trialing locations. A total of 175 farmers/gardeners received seed of 188 varieties/lines; 112 growers identified 139 new varieties rated winners that they will continue to grow. Trial results were distributed to cooperators and will be posted: http://www.plbr.cornell.edu/psi/OSP%20home.htm. Replicated trials of pepper, cucumbers and squash were completed on organic research farms at Cornell, OSU, UC Davis, WSU and on-farm at WVSU. Grower-managed on-farm breeding activities contributed 11 lines of squash, 71 lines of pepper and 2 OP broccoli populations to public breeders and other growers for further evaluation. Cucurbit and pepper breeding work continues at Cornell with the emphasis on developing broad disease resistance, improved product quality and adaptation to diverse environments. Breeding at OSU continues to focus on the development of late blight resistance in tomato, breeding for OP broccoli adapted to organic systems and for disease resistance, improved flavor and type in summer squash. At the termination of this project is expected that there will be an early, sweet red pepper, a white cucumber, a PMT novelty summer squash, two disease resistant heirloom melons and an advanced OP broccoli population suitable for release. Outreach and education events were also held in 2006 to further develop organic growers' capacity to both breed their own vegetable varieties and produce commercial grade lots of organically grown seed. In the Northeast, NOFA-NY, PGRU and Cornell sponsored 10 outreach and education events, including public taste-testing and workshops held on farms and at research stations that demonstrated breeding basics, pollination techniques, and seed production and cleaning methods to interested farmers, gardeners, and members of the public. Training and educational materials on these topics are also readily available on the OSP website. As part of our training activities a graduate student in plant breeding is actively engaged in the project, assisting with all aspects of the breeding process as well as outreach to the organic community. In 2006, presentations on the project were made at the NOFA-NY winter conference and at the 2006 Organic Seed Conference in OR. An annual project meeting of OSP collaborators was piggybacked on the latter conference where many new and valuable connections were made for future cooperation.

Impacts
The OSP aims to address four critical linkages in the chain that begins when a grower plants a seed and ends at the supper table. First, the partnership will expedite the cooperation, where desired, between breeders across sectors (farmers, seed companies, public sector) working on organically managed ground to develop locally adapted varieties. Second, the partnership will engage a number of cooperators who presently do not have breeding or seed growing capacity, but do have interested communities of organic producers and the capacity to perform variety trials on certified organic farms or land in transition. Third, regional trialing hubs will work with their respective farm-based trialing networks to rapidly disseminate and evaluate promising vegetable varieties. Each member of the trialing network is the hub for a community of farmer/evaluators and farmer/breeders. Fourth, classroom-based curricula are being developed and will be posted on a centralized web site with links to other resources for undergraduate students, extension staff and farmers and disseminated to all partners and collaborators wishing to include plant breeding for organic systems in course work or workshop settings.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
The Organic Seed Partnership (OSP) involves an integrated set of activities that will enhance and expand existing complementary, regionally-focused organic seed production, variety evaluation and breeding activities. This project has created a strong national network to develop and deliver commercial quality seed of improved vegetable varieties for organic agricultural production systems. Vegetable germplasm for this project originates from small businesses (e.g., farmer/breeders, seed companies), non-profit organizations and from the public sector (universities, USDA). In early 2005 a list of nearly 200 vegetable varieties gathered from Fedco, Johnny's, Rupp, Seeds by Design, Seeds of Change, Territorial, Turtle Tree, Cornell, OSU and USDA-ARS, Salinas, CA was offered to cooperating organic growers and university-based organic farms in CA, MS, NY, NM, PA and MD. Most on-farm activity occurred in the NE through a trialing network established by the Public Seed Initiative (PSI). A total of 85 farmers/gardeners requested and received seed of 162 vegetable varieties/lines. Of the 81 farmers who requested seed for main season trialing, 55 returned evaluations (response rate = 68 percent). Results have been distributed to cooperators and will be posted on the web. Specific breeding objectives were set based on stakeholder input provided through NOFA-NY, OFRF, OSA, ROS, and by a NESARE award to Cornell and U. Maine. Cornell cucurbit and pepper breeding emphasized broad disease resistance, improved product quality and adaptation to diverse environments. Breeding at OSU focused on the development of late blight resistance in tomato, breeding for OP broccoli adapted to organic systems and for disease resistance, improved flavor and type in summer squash. In 2005, the most popular breeding projects with farmers were selecting for an improved zucchini from crosses of the heirloom Costata Romanesca with disease-resistant high quality parents, mass selection for superior OP broccoli, and selecting for early maturing, cucumber mosaic tolerant, red and yellow bell peppers. In each project, farmers contributed their selections for further evaluation by breeders and other farmers. The participatory structure of this partnership ensures that we are addressing objectives perceived as important by growers and seedspeople. Outreach and education events were also held in 2005 to further develop organic growers' capacity to both breed their own vegetable varieties and produce commercial grade lots of organically grown seed. In the Northeast, NOFA-NY OSP and PGRU sponsored 11 outreach and education events, including public taste-testing and workshops held on farms and at research stations that demonstrated breeding basics, pollination techniques, and seed production and cleaning methods to interested farmers, gardeners, and members of the public. Presentations at two annual organic growers' meetings in New England, at the second annual Seed and Breeds Conference, EcoFarm, and at the annual meeting of the Crop Science Society of America have helped to further inform the public about OSP goals and activities.

Impacts
The OSP aims to address four critical linkages in the chain that begins when a grower plants a seed and ends at the supper table. First, the partnership will expedite the cooperation, where desired, between breeders across sectors (farmers, seed companies, public sector) working on organically managed ground to develop locally adapted varieties. Second, the partnership will engage a number of cooperators who presently do not have breeding or seed growing capacity, but do have interested communities of organic producers and the capacity to perform variety trials on certified organic farms or land in transition. Third, regional trialing hubs will work with their respective farm-based trialing networks to rapidly disseminate and evaluate promising vegetable varieties. Each member of the trialing network is the hub for a community of farmer/evaluators and farmer/breeders. Fourth, classroom-based curricula are being developed and will be posted on a centralized web site with links to other resources for undergraduate students, extension staff and farmers and disseminated to all partners and collaborators wishing to include plant breeding for organic systems in course work or workshop settings.

Publications

• Yeam, I., B.C. Kang, J.D. Frantz and M.M. Jahn. 2005. Allele-specific CAPS markers based on point mutations in resistance alleles at the pvr1 locus encoding eIF4E in Capsicum. TAG 112:178-186.
• Kang, B.C., I. Yeam and M.M. Jahn. 2005. Genetics of resistance to plant viruses. Ann. Rev. Phytopathology 42:581-621.
• Quirin, E.A, E. Ogundiwin, J.P. Prince, M. Mazourek, M. O. Briggs, T. S. Chlanda, B.C. Kang, L.G. Landry, K.T. Kim, and M. M. Jahn. 2005. PCR-based detection of Phyto.5.2, a major QTL controlling resistance to Phytophthora capsici in Capsicum. TAG 110:605-612.
• Henning, M.J, H.M. Munger and M.M. Jahn. 2005. 'Hannah's Choice F1' : A new muskmelon hybrid with resistance to powdery mildew, Fusarium race 2 and potyviruses. HortScience 40(2):492-493.
• Henning, M.J, H.M. Munger and M.M. Jahn. 2005. 'PMR Delicious 51': An improved open-pollinated melon with resistance to powdery mildew. HortScience 40(1):261-262.

Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
Specific breeding objectives have been set in response to extensive formal and informal surveys and roundtables to solicit stakeholder input conducted by non-profit organizations, NOFA-NY, OFRF, OSA, ROS, and by a newly awarded NESARE award to Cornell and U. Maine. Clearly the participatory structure of this partnership assured that we are addressing objectives perceived as important by growers and seedspeople. Plans are underway under OSP to: 1) expedite the cooperation, where desired, between breeders across sectors (farmers, seed companies, public sector) working on organically managed ground to develop locally adapted varieties; 2) engage a number of cooperators who presently do not have breeding or seed growing capacity, but do have interested communities of organic producers and the capacity to perform variety trials on certified organic farms or land in transition; 3) have regional trialing hubs that will work with their respective farm-based trialing networks to rapidly disseminate and evaluate promising vegetable varieties; and 4) develop classroom-based curricula for undergraduate students, extension staff and farmers. We are setting up extensive trials and selection environments for the 2005 growing season. Field days and outreach activities are also being planned. This project, The Organic Seed Partnership (OSP), involves an integrated set of activities that will enhance and expand existing complementary, regionally-focused organic seed production, crop variety evaluation and breeding activities. Our goal is to create a strong national network capable of developing and delivering commercial quality seed of improved vegetable varieties for organic agricultural production systems. The OSP integrates participatory research in farm-based crop breeding and selection activities in organic systems, based on strategies developed as part of our USDA-IFAFS project, the Public Seed Initiative. The focus of the OSP is on vegetable species because of the paramount importance of vegetables in organic farming systems and because of their relative value for the businesses that engage in organic agriculture. Vegetable germplasm for this project will originate from small businesses (e.g., farmer/breeders and regionally focused, smaller seed companies), non-profit organizations and projects (e.g., Restoring our Seed, Oregon Tilth) and from public sector research institutions including universities (Cornell, Oregon State, U. of Maine) and the USDA.

Impacts
It is too early to report on impacts of the OSP, but as the project unfolds, direct impacts on organic crop production and its profitability are expected.

Publications

• No publications reported this period