Farm-based organic variety trials A collective experiment with an organic farmers network

Varietal choice is the major crop specific management decision organic farmers can make to manage crop performance. However, with official varietal evaluation mostly carried out in conventionally managed environments, there has been widespread difficulty in identifying varieties suitable for organic and low-input systems. This has been especially difficult in wheat, which is the most important arable crop in England, yet with a very small and shrinking organic acreage. In 2017/18 we started a collective experiment in which wheat varieties were tested by organic farmers at a commercial field scale. In the first two years, besides providing useful information on the tested varieties, this work has paved the way to better understand winter wheat production and thereby build decision support frameworks and feedback to breeders on useful traits. Collective experiments can be a powerful tool for co-learning between researchers, farmers and supply chain stakeholders. By working together, the industry, and any farmer engaged in a journey towards a more sustainable production with reduced use of chemicals, can be empowered to independently generate the evidence needed for on-farm decision making.