Institut für Züchtungsforschung an landwirtschaftlichen Kulturen
Buckwheat (Fagopoyrum esculentum Moench) is one of the pseudo-cereal types and its products are considered to be of particular nutritional and physiological value and are therefore becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Buckwheat is very frugal in cultivation, it needs neither pesticides nor fertilizers. In organic farming, it is also important to close the crop quickly, because a high level of weed suppression is achieved so shortly after sowing. The main problems in production are low yields, insufficient stability and high grain losses (up to 50%) due to uneven ripening and peeling losses. At the moment there are neither varieties adapted for local cultivation nor an existing breeding program in Germany. The aim of the project is to use innovative breeding methods to create a basis for building a sustainable, preferably regional, value chain for buckwheat. The resulting push effect of high-yielding varieties that are easy to process increases the attractiveness of cultivation and expands agrobiodiversity. A lucrative market for biologically valuable products is emerging for processors and the food trade.
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
