Modern landraces – cultivar mixtures in agriculture, workshop

Modern agriculture is dominated by a few annual crop species with little variation in time and space. To grow cultivar mixtures is one mean of increasing local diversity, and thereby make the crop more resilient to environmental variation. Yet, adoption of cultivar mixtures in agriculture is rare. This workshop elucidates various aspects of cultivar mixtures. The title “Modern landraces” refers to that land races are characterized by being genetically diverse and generally more resistant to various stress factors, although not as productive as modern cultivars. Mixing modern cultivars may be one mean to get a more resilient, yet high-yielding, crop. There are several reasons why the use of cultivar mixtures is rare, something that will be discussed in this workshop. Since part of the explanation for yield stability in variety mixtures can be referred to less damage by pests and diseases, there is an excellent opportunity to combine this meeting with KSLA’s meeting 8 November on Future Plant Protection Strategies. Scientists, agricultural advisors, farmers and representatives from the seed, feed and food industry are invited to take part in this workshop. http://www.ksla.se/aktivitet/modern-landraces/