The Reflective Plant Breeding Paradigm: A Robust System of Germplasm Development to Support Strategic Diversification of Agroecosystems

Abstract

Over the last half‐century, crop breeding and agronomic advances have dramatically enhanced yields in temperate summer‐annual cropping systems. Now, diversification of these cropping systems is emerging as a strategy for sustainable intensification, potentially increasing both crop production and resource conservation. In temperate zones, diversification is largely based on the introduction of winter‐annual and perennial crops at spatial and temporal locations in annual‐crop production systems that efficiently increase production and resource conservation. Germplasm development will be critical to this strategy, but we contend that to be feasible and efficient, germplasm improvement must be closely integrated with commercialization of these crops. To accomplish this integration, we propose a novel approach to germplasm development: the reflective plant breeding paradigm (RPBP). Our approach is enabled by developments in genomics, agroecosystem management, and innovation theory and practice. These developments and new plant‐breeding technologies (e.g., low‐cost sequencing, phenotyping, and spatial modeling of agroecosystems) now enable germplasm development to proceed on a time scale that enables close coordination of breeding and commercialization (i.e, development of cost‐effective production systems and supply–value chains for end‐use markets). The RPBP approach is based on close coordination of germplasm development with enterprise development. In addition to supporting strategic diversification of current annual‐cropping systems, the RPBP may be useful in rapid adaptation of agriculture to climate change. Finally, the RPBP may offer a novel and distinctive pathway for future development of the public plant‐breeding programs of land‐grant universities with implications for graduate education for public‐ and private‐sector plant breeders.

Sustainable commercialization of new crops for the agricultural bioeconomy

“…More broadly, the authors of this commentary are all contributing to the Forever Green Initiative's (Runck et al, 2014) effort to develop a portfolio of new fallow-season and perennial crops, and we see development of effective methods for sustainable commercialization as a crucially important product of the Initiative. Sustainability itself is arguably a capacity for ongoing learning and adaptation (Peterson, 2009).…”

“…Finally, end-use, supply chain and market development for these crops has greatly advanced as a result of public and private sector efforts to develop a wide range of new bio-based products, including new foods, feeds, bioproducts, biomaterials, and biofuels (Chen and Zhang, 2015). These recent and ongoing advances enable these three areas of innovation-germplasm development, agroecosystem diversification, and end-use/markets-to be coordinated and integrated on the same time scale, whereas previously, germplasm development was a much slower process (Runck et al, 2014).…”

“…Our meaning is not confined to marketing efforts or product positioning in a market, but rather is broad and systemic, addressing all aspects of introducing a new crop into commerce, while addressing associated sustainability challenges related to economic, environmental and social aspects of commercialization. Our effort to implement sustainable commercialization centers on a concerted effort to coordinate and govern innovation in the three critical areas noted above: crop germplasm development, integration in existing agroecological systems, and development and marketing of new commodities (Runck et al, 2014).…”

“…Lessons learned in our project pertain to new fallow-season and perennial crops being developed for diversification of agriculture in central North America by the Forever Green Initiative (Runck et al, 2014). The authors are all participants in that project, which is led by the University of Minnesota and involves circa 60 researchers in fifteen disciplines (ranging from genomics to landscape architecture), and a wide range of research and commercialization partners.…”

Systems approaches to innovation in pest management: reflections and lessons learned from an integrated research program on parasitic weeds in rice

“…The usefulness of systems approaches has become increasingly recognized not only by social scientists but also by natural scientists in fields such as crop science and applied ecology as a way to enhance the relevance and impact of science (Nederlof et al 2007;Jordan et al 2012;Hulme 2014;Runck et al 2014;Smith et al 2014). The systems approach is also appropriate for managing research efforts with an applied objective such as crop protection.…”