Crop Protection 2030: what does it mean for seeds? Laurens Kroon, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Seed Meets Technology ‘Crop Protection 2030: what does it mean for seeds?’ Laurens Kroon, Bejo, Head of Research

EXPLORING SINCE Merger Baker’s son Advances Cor Beemsterboer & Cor Beemsterboer in research marker Jacob Jong become technology starts in seed trade Bejo Zaden Grocer Expansion Jacob Jong and establishment starts in seed trade of Bejo in Europe Collaboration Acquisition in new breeding of Agrisemen a lettuce techniques starts breeding company ( Hybridisation )

TODAY ► 1800 employees worldwide ► Broad assortment 50 crops, 1200 varieties ► Organic program 50 crops, 190 varieties ► Breeding, production & sales around the world

Bejo assortment

BRASSICAS ROOTED CROPS ALLIUM FRUIT CROPS LEAF CROPS

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT 3 YEARS 10 -15 YEARS

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE Market Identification Development Process Breeding Research Testing field trials With customers Seed Production & Processing Market Introduction

THE WORLD OF BEJO Breeding stations

THE WORLD OF BEJO Sales activities

THE WORLD OF BEJO Warmenhuizen T h e N e t h e r l a n d s Quality control, processing and storage ► of globally produced Bejo seed Research Center ►

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems ► Agri/horticulture and the environment are linked ► Aim to strive for zero emission to the environment and virtually zero residue on produce

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems ► Agri/horticulture and the environment are linked ► Aim to strive for zero emission to the environment and virtually zero residue on produce

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems Breeding for resistance is an integral part of ▪ our Breeding program

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE • Breeding for qualitative resistance is a rat race • Reduce the development time to cut time to market • Marker Assisted Breeding and Speed Breeding

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE • Breeding for qualitative resistance is a rat race • Reduce the development time to cut time to market • Marker Assisted Breeding and Speed Breeding • Breeding for quantitative traits is even more challenging!

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► Breeding for quantitative traits Resistance for many soilborne diseases is ▪ difficult to achieve Also breeding for resilience/stress tolerance ▪ is not easy Uniform distribution of the pathogen or ▪ stress-factor in the trial field is challenging Many loci with a small additive effect on the ▪ trait of interest, challenge to combine with quality

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE • Use of Drone data in the Breeding process to tackle quantitative traits • Linking Phenotypic data to Genotypic data • Use of Biostatistics to identify associations between markers and traits

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding CRISPR-Cas9 can change specific code in a ▪ gene of interest, with no side effects

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding CRISPR-Cas9 can change specific code in a ▪ gene of interest, with no side effects One of the most promising applications is in the ▪ editing of S-genes

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding CRISPR-Cas9 can change specific code in a ▪ gene of interest, with no side effects One of the most promising applications is in the ▪ editing of S-genes These susceptibility genes code for a doorway that ▪ allows a pathogen to enter a plant cel

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding CRISPR-Cas9 can change specific code in a ▪ gene of interest, with no side effects One of the most promising applications is in the ▪ editing of S-genes These susceptibility genes code for a doorway that ▪ allows a pathogen to enter a plant cel If you brick up this doorway, you can prevent ▪ infection, without negative impact on the plant

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ► New Breeding Techniques Gene editing is mentioned as a new tool to ▪ use in resistance breeding CRISPR-Cas9 can change specific code in a ▪ gene of interest, with no side effects One of the most promising applications is in the ▪ editing of S-genes These susceptibility genes code for a doorway that ▪ allows a pathogen to enter a plant cel If you brick up this doorway, you can prevent ▪ infection, without negative impact on the plant This is a durable form of resistance! ▪

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE Example: mildew resistance in wheat ►

VARIETY DEVELOPMENT CYCLE Example: mildew resistance in wheat ►

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems Breeding for resistance is an integral part of ▪ our Breeding program Breeding for Organic vs Organic Breeding? ▪

Bejo Organic Program

ORGANIC RIGHT FROM THE START

ORGANIC RIGHT FROM THE START ► Over 20 years of extensive knowledge and experience ► Innovative seed treatments and improved cultivation practices ► New varieties, developed from our broad genetic base, supported with the latest technologies for natural breeding

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems Breeding for resistance is an integral part of ▪ our Breeding program Breeding for Organic or Organic Breeding? ▪ Healthy seeds give a good start ▪

From Healthy seeds to Healthy Seedlings Healthy seeds Healthy soils Disease - free In Balance/ Robust

On Site Detection Measuring Xanthomonas infections during seed production of cabbage

Location of infection Superficial contamination Deep seated infection Deep seated embryonic infection

Disinfection Untreated Treated

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems ► Agri/horticulture and the environment are linked ► Aim to strive for zero emission to the environment and virtually zero residue on produce

Bees and Bejo Natural partners in production of vegetable seeds

Bees are strategically important for Bejo: ► Honey bees: champions in pollination for 80% of our crops. ► Without pollination, no seeds. ► Bee mortality and bee health are a global concern.

CROP PROTECTION 2030 ► Resilience in both crops and crop systems ► Agri/horticulture and the environment are linked ► Aim to strive for zero emission to the environment and virtually zero residue on produce

Fungicides in Seed Coating 2005 2018 2020 Future Alternatives Fludioxonil Metalaxyl

Seedlings are vulnerable Beet – Rhizoctonia example 100% Diseased Plants 50% 25% 0% wk 0 wk 2 wk 4 wk 6 wk 8 wk 10 Plant Age Rhizoctonia Attack Liu 2019, North Dakota State University, USA

The Ministry Vision for Crop Protection 2030 ► largely fits our own long term vision New developments in Seed Technology and ► Breeding support the higher demands that follow from this program But the world is bigger than Holland alone ► Even in Europe, there is no level playing ► field, and member states are drifting apart with rules and regulations

Resistance breeding and resilient crops alone ► are not enough (yet) to combat soil borne diseases New breeding techniques like CRISPR-Cas ► gene editing can be a valuable (or even indispensable) tool to breed for resilient crops Cutting down the available chemistry limits ► the options to combat challenging diseases, and may limit the farmers in yield stability

Exploring nature never stops