The consumer demand for locally produced organic bread and flour of high quality is rising but the protein content of Danish grain – especially organic wheat – is often too low. At the same time, the disease common bunt presents a big challenge because it cannot be controlled without the use of pesticides in the production of wheat seed. It is difficult to meet the wishes of the consumers because the organic grain producers can be obliged to import special grain from abroad and/or use conventionally produced seeds.

That is why, for many years, there has been a need of more robust grain types with a higher protein content within the organic grain industry.

Until now, it has been very expensive and difficult to obtain approval for varieties and heterogeneous material with properties suitable for organic farming, but the new EU regulation for organic farming offers completely new and favourable opportunities for organic plant breeding.

New EU regulation can boost the quality and diversity of organic grain

To address the issue outlined above, the new EU regulation (Anno 2022) for organic farming has opened the use of:

• Organically bred varieties and
• Organically heterogeneous plant propagating material

With the new regulation, new types of grain can be developed – which presents an opportunity to create more grain diversity and higher grain quality. The purpose of the BOOST project is to exploit this potential.

The purpose of BOOST

BOOST will invest in new technology that can heighten the protein content in Danish organic grain and support the development of new innovative food products. The project will develop new breeding strategies that consider the resistance of grain varieties to the disease common bunt as well as common bunt’s ability to infect, which inadvertently will evolve when the seed is grown organically – that is without the use of pesticides.

The project will involve stakeholders from the entire value chain, who in a joint effort, will increase the robustness, quality, and diversity of organic grain production in the field as well as in foods.

If this is achieved, organic grain production can become independent of conventional breeding production and thus avoid the use of pesticides.

 Project period: 2022-2026