What is the genesis of creating a variety?
The Breeding process invariably begins with the collection of the most diverse plant material. The CRA-W collections include thousands of varieties called "genetic resources". Orchards, seeds and plants are both our heritage and our best tools for creating the crops of tomorrow.
This diversity is then mixed by judicious crossing between varieties with complementary characteristics. Some of these properties are easily identifiable but most are complex or only express themselves in certain circumstances. This is why the plants resulting from the crossings must be observed and evaluated in a lot of situations and during long periods.
More than 120 different varieties
This is how CRA-W has bred, over 100 years, more than 120 different varieties in crops as diverse as cereals, potatoes, flax, fava beans, strawberries, cherry rootstocks and apples.
From the origin to the present day
The Plant Breeding Station - as it was once called - was created in 1913 by Prof. Constant Journée and has remained at the heart of the CRA-W's activities ever since. The crops and concerns have varied over time.
Nowadays, the cultivation of durum wheat has a better future than that of tobacco, and apples must be more resistant to scab as well as potatoes to mildew. CRA-W's breeding programs are adapting and will continue to evolve: in the context of more sustainable agriculture (Organic & Integrated), choosing varieties that are more robust, more tolerant to diseases and pests and of differentiated qualities, more than ever constitute the main leverage for farmers.
