Practice Abstracts

Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Funded by the European Union (grant no. 101059872), the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (Contract no. 22.0412) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA, nor SERI or UKRI. Practice Abstracts batch 1 Authors: Ana-Marija Špicnagel (IPS Konzalting) Dora Maričić (IPS Konzalting) Anamarija Ćorić (IPS Konzalting) Deliverable Number D7.5 Work Package WP7 Deliverable type Document, report Dissemination level Public Deliverable Lead partner IPS Konzalting Due date 30 September 2024 Submission date 30 September 2024 Version V 1.4 Reviewers Freya Schäfer (FiBL-DE), Vladimir Meglič (KIS), Frederic Rey/Stephanie Klaedtke (ITAB), Gyöngyi Györéné Kis (ÖMKI), Charlotte Bickler (ORC), Monika Messmer (FiBLCH), Mariano Iossa (FiBL Europe) Contact [email protected] Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 1 History of changes Version Date Author Comments Version 1 22 August 2024 Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Anamarija Ćorić, Dora Maričić (IPS Konzalting, HR) First versión Version 1.1 23 September 2024 Monika Messmer (FiBL CH), Charlotte Bickler (ORC, UK) Review 1 Version 1.2 26 September 2024 Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Anamarija Ćorić (IPS Konzalting, HR) Integration of inputs from reviewers Version 1.3 30 September 2024 Mariano Iossa FiBL Europe Final revision Version 1.4 1 October 2024 Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Anamarija Ćorić (IPS Konzalting, HR) Final version Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 2 LiveSeeding - Organic seed and plant breeding to accelerate sustainable and diverse food systems in Europe is a 4-year Innovation Action funded by the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The project started in October 2022 and brings together 37 organisations operating in 16 European countries. LiveSeeding provides science-based evidence and best practice solutions to help achieve 100 % organic seed. LiveSeeding contributes to the transition towards environmentally-friendly, climateneutral, healthy and fair food systems through a PUSH-PULL-ENABLE strategy to • enhance the availability and adequacy of organic seeds of cultivars appropriate to organic farming (PUSH), • increase and stabilise the market demand for organic seeds of cultivars appropriate to organic farming (PULL), • foster an enabling policy and regulatory environment where both demand and supply can harmoniously and productively negotiate without irrelevant constraints due to legal restrictions and/or regulatory fragmentation (ENABLE). LiveSeeding addresses the topics in a holistic multi-actor, multi-stakeholder, participatory approach involving stakeholders along the value chain in 17 local Living Labs (LLs) and 3 established networks of organic breeders (ECO-PB), seed savers (ECLLD) and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). 15 European countries cover the different pedoclimatic zones and socio-economic contexts, including countries with a low level of development in organic seed and breeding in East and South Europe. Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 3 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction to practice abstracts .................................................................................... 6 2. LiveSeeding Practice Abstracts ......................................................................................... 7 2.1 EUROPEAN ROUTER DATABASE: CENTRALISED PLATFORM FOR SUPPLIERS OF ORGANIC PLANT REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL (PRM) ...................................................................................... 8 2.2 WHAT IS ORGANIC HETEROGENEOUS MATERIAL (OHM) AND HOW CAN IT BE NOTIFIED? 10 2.3 SIMPLE, NON-DESTRUCTIVE MEASUREMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO EVALUATE SEED MOISTURE LEVELS USING A HYGROMETER ......................................................... 12 2.4 ENHANCING ORGANIC VARIETY DEVELOPMENT WITH SEEDLINKED: A COLLABORATIVE DIGITAL APPROACH .................................................................................................................... 14 2.5 DIY HOT WATER TREATMENT FOR SANITIZATION OF VEGETABLE SEEDS ........................ 15 3. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 17 Table of Annex ............................................................................................................................ 18 List of Figures Figure 1 Scheme of European Router Database .................................................................... 9 Figure 2 The variability of EPO durum spikes ...................................................................... 11 Figure 3 eRH measurement of the corander seed sample ................................................ 13 Figure 4 Test hot water treatment in diagnostic laboratory............................................. 16 Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 4 List of abbreviations ECLLD European Coordination Let's Liberate Diversity ECO-PB European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding EIP-AGRI European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability EU CAP Network EU Common Agricultural Policy Network FiBL-CH Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland FiBL-DE Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Germany ITAB Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique (Technical Institute for Organic Agriculture) KIS Agricultural Institute of Slovenia LLs Living Labs MUFPP Milan Urban Food Policy Pact OHM Organic Heterogeneous Material OMKI Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture ORC Organic Research Centre PGR Plant Genetic Resources PRM Plant Reproductive Material SERI Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation UKRI UK Research and Innovation Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 5 Summary This deliverable provides a compilation of five practice abstracts prepared in the scope of the LiveSeeding project until month 24 (September 2024). Practice abstracts are prepared as part of Task 7.1 (T7.1), “Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan and its implementation.” Practice abstracts part of Deliverable 7.5 are: 1) European Router Database: centralised platform for suppliers of organic plant reproductive material (PRM) 2) What is organic heterogeneous material (OHM), and how can it be notified? 3) Simple, non-destructive measurement of equilibrium Relative Humidity to evaluate seed moisture levels using a hygrometer 4) Enhancing Organic Variety Development with SeedLinked: A Collaborative Digital Approach 5) Hot Water Treatments to Sanitize Vegetable Seeds They are presented in two ways: • Plain text together with graphic elements in non-layouted format for easy copy and paste • A printscreen of a layouted version the Practice Abstract from the Canva editor to show what the PA will look in the EIP portal. During the project lifespan, a minimum of 15 practice abstracts will be delivered, feeding into two deliverables – Deliverable 7.5 (D7.5) “Practice Abstracts - batch 1 (contains five practice abstracts)” due by month 24 (September 2024) and Deliverable 7.7 (D7.7) “Practice Abstracts - batch 2 (contains ten practice abstracts)” due by month 48 (September 2026). Practice abstracts will ensure the broad dissemination of the innovative knowledge resulting from the LiveSeeding project, which will feed into the EIP-AGRI (The Agricultural European Innovation Partnership) project database on the EU CAP Network website. The end-user material is designed to convey readily accessible information to practitioners in the form of summaries for practitioners in the EIP standard format. All practice abstracts produced in the scope of the LiveSeeding project will be deposited on the Organic Farm Knowledge platform under the section “Seed” which promotes the exchange of knowledge among farmers, farm advisers and scientists. Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 6 1. Introduction to practice abstracts Practice abstracts are concise summaries of research findings designed to be easily understood and applied by non-specialist audiences. The practice abstracts aim to transfer complex scientific information into practical insights that can be directly used by different end users (e.g. practitioners, policymakers, and the public) and to ensure that research outcomes are accessible, relevant, and impactful beyond the academic community. These end-user materials not only highlight the key results of a project and explain how these findings can be implemented in real-world contexts, but also contribute to the sustainability and exploitation of research results. By summarizing key findings in a way that is easy to use and implement, they ensure that the knowledge generated by the project can be utilized long after the project's completion, providing a sense of security to stakeholders. A practice abstract typically consists of four key elements that guide its core structure: the objective(s), the result(s), the recommendations, and additional information. The “Objective” section identifies the specific issue or challenges that the research addresses, clarifying its relevance to practitioners. In contrast, the “Result” section then presents the main findings or innovations from the research that offer a solution to the identified problem. Following this, the “Recommendations” section provides actionable advice, or steps practitioners can implement to apply the solution in their contexts. Finally, the “Additional information” section includes additional resources or references for those interested in exploring the topic in more detail, such as booklets, videos, publications, etc. The present deliverable collects 5 out of 15 practice abstracts produced/to be produced in the scope of the LiveSeeding project. It aims to ensure that all produced end-user materials are comprehensively included and easily accessible in one unified document. Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 7 2. LiveSeeding Practice Abstracts The present deliverable collects 5 out of 15 practice abstracts planned within the scope of the LiveSeeding project. It aims to ensure that all produced end-user materials are comprehensively included and easily accessible in one unified document. These practice abstracts are: 1) European Router Database: centralised platform for suppliers of organic plant reproductive material (PRM) 2) What is organic heterogeneous material (OHM), and how can it be notified? 3) Simple, non-destructive measurement of equilibrium Relative Humidity to evaluate seed moisture levels using a hygrometer 4) Enhancing Organic Variety Development with SeedLinked: A Collaborative Digital Approach 5) Hot Water Treatments to Sanitize Vegetable Seeds All practice abstracts are presented in two ways: • Plain text together with graphic elements in non-layouted format for easy copy and paste • A printscreen of a layouted version the Practice Abstract from the Canva editor to show what the PA will look in the EIP portal. Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 8 2.1 European Router Database: centralised platform for suppliers of organic plant reproductive material (PRM) OBJECTIVE Regulation 2018/848 requires every EU Member State to have a national database displaying the available organic plant reproductive material (PRM). However, suppliers often offering PRM across borders may need to navigate 27 different national databases, each in varying formats and languages. This poses significant challenges for suppliers and hinders the completeness of these databases. RESULT The European Router Database serves as a centralised platform, enabling suppliers to manage their PRM offers across multiple national databases with a single account. The platform provides translated content in all official EU languages and facilitates direct communication with national authorities. Integration of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) automates the transfer of PRM offers to national databases, with 12 APIs currently operational. For other databases, offers can be downloaded manually by authorities, widening access of organic PRM for organic farmers in their national database. To increase transparency, the Router Database will serve as a central repository where information of interest to all stakeholders can be uploaded on an ongoing basis. The use of the Router Database is free of charge both for suppliers and authorities. RECOMMENDATIONS To place offers in national databases via the Router Database, suppliers can follow these 5 practical steps: 1. Visit the Router Database at www.seeds4organic.eu 2. Create your user account and verify your organic certification 3. Select the countries where you intend to offer your PRM 4. Place your offers by searching the cultivar catalogue and filling-in the offer form 5. Keep your offer up to date Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 15 2.5 DIY Hot water treatment for sanitization of vegetable seeds OBJECTIVE Seed-borne pathogens are of special importance to horticultural practices, especially for farmers and home gardeners as bacterial and fungal diseases, such as bacterial blights or anthracnose, can cause low germination ability, slow growth of the plants or even total loss of the yield in the case of severe infections. Regular commercial coatings with chemicals, such as fungicides or disinfectants, are not an option for organic agriculture, making the management of seed-borne pathogens especially challenging. RESULT Hot water treatment is a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technique that has been successfully used in sanitation of vegetable seeds by reduction or elimination of pathogens without affecting the seeds. The method has been effectively used to manage seed borne diseases without the use of synthetic pesticides which favours even smallscale gardeners. The rationale is based on the principle of heat, wherein the right temperature and the right amount of time is given to deactivate the pathogens, with as little impact as possible on the seeds. RECOMMENDATIONS Hot water treatment is well suited to small seed batches, where the precise control of temperature and duration can be controlled more easily. However, the special attention has to be paid when heat-sensitive seeds are applied, such as beans and peas, because due to the soaking in hot water the seed coat can be damaged easily which would lead to a reduced germination rate. Therefore, seed-specific treatment protocols need to be followed. Material: • Seeds • Stockings or fine mesh bags • Paper clips or similar small fasteners to secure the mesh bags/stockings • Thermometer (for monitoring water temperature) • Glass beaker or pot for heating water • Heating device (e.g., magnetic stirrer with a hot plate for controlled heating) • Timer (to monitor treatment time) • Cold water for cooling treated seeds • Paper towels for drying seeds post-treatment Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 16 Procedure: 1. Prepare Seed Bags - Place seeds in mesh bag. Secure the open ends of the stockings with paper clips; use differently coloured clips if different seed batches are treated at the same time. 2. Heat Water to the Target Temperature – Place glass beaker or pot with water on a heating device. Using a thermometer, heat the water to the desired temperature. 3. Submerge Seeds - Once the water reaches targeted temperature, carefully place the secured seed bags into the water. Make sure they are fully submerged but not overcrowded to allow even heating. 4. Monitor Treatment Time - Set a timer for 30 minutes (or the recommended time for the specific seed type). Stir occasionally or maintain water circulation to ensure even heat distribution. 5. Cool the Seeds - After the treatment time is completed, immediately remove the seed bags and submerge them in cold tap water for 1-2 minutes to stop the heating process. 6. Dry the Seeds - Open the stockings and spread the seeds out on paper towels. Allow them to dry thoroughly before planting or storing. Recommendations: Plant species Option 1 Option 2 Corn Salad, Carrots, Celery 50 °C / 30 min 53 °C / 10 min Brassicas, Onions, Radishes 50 °C / 20 min 53 °C / 10 min Lettuce 50 °C / 0,5 min 50 °C / 10 min Beetroot 53 °C / 30 min 53 °C / 40 min ADDITIONAL INFORMATION More details, tips and tricks about HWT of vegetable seeds you can find here: https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/53533/1/HotWaterTreatment_BSAG.pdf Figure 4 Test hot water treatment in diagnostic laboratory Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 17 3. Conclusion The five practice abstracts developed within the LiveSeeding project offer practical insights and actionable solutions for organic seed and breeding practices. These abstracts provide valuable guidance on topics such as enhancing seed quality, improving breeding strategies, and promoting sustainable agriculture practices, tailored for farmers, seed producers, and breeders. By addressing both the challenges and opportunities within organic seed systems, the abstracts contribute to fostering innovation, increasing resilience, and supporting the growth of organic farming across Europe. Overall, they play a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and best practices to strengthen organic seed knowledge and promote sustainable food systems. Deliverable 7.5, Practice Abstracts 18 Table of Annex Title of the Practice Abstract Link to the Practice Abstract European Router Database: centralised platform for suppliers of organic plant reproductive material (PRM) Practice Abstract no. 1 What is organic heterogeneous material (OHM), and how can it be notified? Practice Abstract no. 2 Simple, non-destructive measurement of equilibrium Relative Humidity to evaluate seed moisture levels using a hygrometer Practice Abstract no. 3 Enhancing Organic Variety Development with SeedLinked: A Collaborative Digital Approach Practice Abstract no. 4 Hot Water Treatments to Sanitize Vegetable Seeds Practice Abstract no. 5