Port Townsend, WA – Today Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) announced the release of the nation’s first Participatory Plant Breeding Toolkit. The new publication supports participatory plant breeding (PPB) projects that aim to increase the availability and quality of organic seed.
PPB is a highly effective on-farm breeding method that involves a close collaboration between farmers and researchers. The approach provides farmers an opportunity to adapt crop varieties to their specific regions and organic farming practices.
Farmers and university breeders are experts in their own fields, but may not have training in assessing the needs and capacities of partners, working together in project planning, or maintaining clear and timely communications. OSA’s new toolkit helps collaborators overcome potential challenges to ensure project goals are met.
The toolkit includes a background on the theory and practice of PPB, case studies of successful projects, and worksheets to facilitate project planning and execution. Authors include Jared Zystro of Organic Seed Alliance, Adrienne Shelton of University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Siegland Snapp of Michigan State University. This publication was made possible through a grant from Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), and is available for free download at http://www.seedalliance.org/Publications/.
Be sure to follow updates on other new publications by visiting OSA’s website, Seed Broadcast blog, Facebook page, and Twitter.
