{"id":40269,"date":"2025-11-18T00:01:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=40269"},"modified":"2025-11-17T17:54:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T22:54:11","slug":"research-in-traditional-plant-breeding-in-organic-tomato-traits-critical-to-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2025\/11\/research-in-traditional-plant-breeding-in-organic-tomato-traits-critical-to-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Research in Traditional Plant Breeding in Organic Tomato Traits Critical to Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides, November 18, 2025) A study published in Horticultural Plant Journal<\/em><\/a> provides additional evidence on the viability of organically managed farmland based on tomatoes cultivated through traditional plant breeding and regional variances.<\/p>\n

The authors of the research find that, \u201cDespite the positive trend of the organic sector’s development in Europe, the number of tomato varieties bred for organic farming is still limited since efforts have been mainly focused on high input conditions.\u201d They continue: \u201cAs a result, the existing cultivars may not suit to organic production [ ] as cultivars chosen for conventional [chemical-intensive] systems often respond well to chemical fertilizers to improve crop output, but they might not maximize nutrient uptake in organic systems where minor external inputs are provided.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this context, the marketplace is not maximizing the potential productivity of organic systems due to the limited availability of seeds and plant material best suited to conditions in sync with local ecosystems.<\/p>\n

The designed methodology, as well as the findings, show that there are opportunities for public investment to support systems that cultivate agricultural products without reliance on petrochemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds treated with pesticide products and other genetically modified characteristics. For millennia, humans have worked in tandem with native plants and locally or regionally cultivated crop species through plant breeding and cultivation, rather than attempting to control what communities can grow or operate on their land. This latest scientific analysis underscores a path forward that is grounded in science, operates within planetary boundaries, and leads to innovation.<\/p>\n

Traditional plant breeding is a process of cross-breeding for selected traits, while genetic engineering actually inserts genetic material into the plant. (See statement of Michael Hansen<\/a>, PhD., on behalf of Consumers Union.)<\/p>\n

Legal Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Regulations under the Organic Foods Production Act<\/em> (OFPA) prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as defined by \u201cexcluded methods\u201d in U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations (7 CFR \u00a7205.2<\/a>) and prohibited in 7 CFR \u00a7205.105(e)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OFPA itself specifically establishes a default prohibition of \u201csynthetic\u201d materials in\u00a07 U.S.C. \u00a76502(22), with a definition that prohibits substances that are (i) not created by \u201cnaturally occurring biological processes\u201d or (ii) subject to processes that \u201cchemically changes\u201d a natural material. Allowed and prohibited substances are established in OFPA under the authorities in 7 U.S.C. \u00a76517<\/a> (National List) and by statute under the control of the Congressionally mandated National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a 15-member stakeholder board (7 U.S.C. \u00a76518)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OFPA provides for broad input from the public under the procedures of the NOSB, requiring that, \u201cThe National List established by the Secretary shall be based upon a proposed national list or proposed amendments to the National List developed by the National Organic Standards Board.\u201d For more on engaging with the process to protect and strengthen organic standards, see Keeping Organic Strong<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Background and Methodology<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The researchers tested the interaction of environmental and genotypic effects on 21 \u201cmorpho-agronomic traits\u201d for 39 distinct tomato genotypes (or accessions, which in this context refers to samples of plant\/fruit material representing the selected genotype) grown under certified organic conditions for two years (2019 and 2020) on Italian and Spanish farms. The Italian farm is based in the municipality of Alcasser (ALC), and the Spanish farm is based at the Research Center for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops in Monsampolo del Tronto (MST). The majority of those cultivated tomato types are considered \u201clandraces\u201d (local varieties with minimal human plant breeding) or heirlooms (cultivation of landraces from outside the native region), which are found in Italy or Spain; however, seven are heirlooms cultivated in the United States. Chemical traits for each tomato accession were assayed at laboratory facilities in their respective countries (Milan, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain). For further information on the 21 traits and how they are measured, see section 2.2 Phenotyping measurements<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The researchers used a GGE (Genotype plus Genotype by Environment interaction) analysis, rather than the typical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, because they say, \u201cGGE provides an effective visualization tool to define mean performance and stability of genotypes and to discriminate test environments.\u201d In other words, understanding the impact of genotypic and environmental factors (and their interaction) on crop performance is critical for farmers looking to balance economic competition with ecological regeneration and health.<\/p>\n

Using GGE analysis, the researchers identify the highest performing tomato genotypes through assessment of three patterns: \u201cWhich-won-where” (WWW), \u201cmean performance versus stability\u201d (MPvS), and \u201cdiscriminative versus representative\u201d (DvR).<\/p>\n

Genotypes (genetic characteristics) that fall within the WWW pattern (represented as a polygon on the GGE biplot) are considered the best performing phenotypes (traits) within their respective environments. The genotypes are placed along an axis on the GGE biplot that represents \u201ctheir average performance in all environments\u201d; meanwhile, a \u201cperpendicular line separates genotypes with values below average from those with above average values\u201d. The DvR analysis allowed researchers to assess ideal test environments “where superior genotypes can be effectively selected\u201d based on known data from the two locations and two cultivation seasons. For this analysis, the researchers note \u201cthe implementation of the ‘which-won-where’ and ‘mean vs. stability’ models in the GGE analysis facilitated the detection of the most promising cultivars in one or more sites determining furthermore their stability level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers are based at the Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops and Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia. Funding for this project includes grants from the European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests. In terms of conflicts of interest, \u201cThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the researchers\u2019 GGE analysis, combining the effects of genotype, location, and seasonal meteorological conditions, the results can be organized based on the three patterns.<\/p>\n

In terms of WWW analysis and performance evaluations of specific genotypes:<\/p>\n