Due to its undemanding nature, its high water absorption and nitrogen efficiency and its high weed suppression, rye is ideally suited to organic crop production. However, the organic varieties used are the result of very simple breeding techniques. The overall aim of the project is therefore to develop a modern, improved breeding methodology for self-incompatible rye populations. Through the development of DNA marker systems and corresponding statistical methods, it is now possible to make population breeding more efficient. Based on phenotypic (yield) data of the progeny of individual plants of a population and the simultaneous genotyping of these individual plants with (many) molecular markers, the breeding value of these parent genotypes as well as of plants that have only been genotyped but not tested can be estimated (= principle of genomic prediction).

Therefore, the “founder” plants of a new (yield-wise) improved population can be selected from a new seed sample of the same population with the help of marker analysis. In addition to yield, growth height, stability, thousand grain weight, falling number and baking quality are also taken into account. To prove the success of this breeding scheme, it must be run through once completely. The two improved populations are then compared with the original material and the breeding progress for the various traits is determined. We test this procedure on a random sample of each of two commercially available rye populations used in organic farming.