Ecological concepts in organic farming and their consequences for an organic crop ideotype

Abstract

Currently, organic farmers largely depend on varieties supplied by conventional plant breeders and developed for conventional farming systems. The organic farming system differs fundamentally in soil fertility, weed, pest and disease management, and so do the desired variety traits.The here proposed organic crop ideotypes may benefit not only organic farming systems, but in the future also conventional systems that move away from high inputs of nutrients and chemical pesticides