Bread grains for low-fertility soils
The production of organic bread wheat is almost exclusively reliant on modern wheat cultivars, as they deliver the protein contents demanded in the marketplace. This requires careful management of the crop plants’ nitrogen supply. In their joint four-year CerQual project, FiBL, Agroscope and Agridea investigated the possibilities of producing organic quality bread grains in low-fertility situations. In a network comprised of a dozen farms in Romandy, the project trialled the cultivation of little-used and relict cereal varieties that also thrive under less intensive conditions: einkorn wheat, emmer wheat, spelt, rye, bread triticale and various further types of wheat. The analysis included soil quality parameters as well as factors determining agronomic, baking and nutritional quality.