Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.**, organic agriculture is a rapidly…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.**, organic agriculture is a rapidly growing sector, but the availability of organic seed has not kept pace with the increase in demand for organic produce. Organic farmers report challenges in sourcing appropriate seed varieties in organic form, which limits their ability to meet market demands. A key barrier to expanding organic seed supply is the lack of research-based information on optimal organic seed production practices. Seed producers and seed companies need data on the yield, quality, and profitability of seed crops to inform their decisions and build successful organic seed businesses. This project will conduct collaborative research and education to deliver critical yield and production data to support the success of organic seed producers. This research includes multi-location seed yield trials, which will evaluate the performance of a common set of varieties for key vegetable crops like lettuce, brassicas, tomatoes and cucurbits in replicated trials on research stations across seven states. These trials aim to quantify the effects of genotype, environment and management practices on organic seed yield and quality. In parallel, seed yield management trials will test specific practices to optimize seed production, including planting density, irrigation strategies, and the use of protected culture.to complement the replicated on-station field trials, the project will also collect organic seed yield data through on-farm trials with over 60 producers per year using a participatory research model. Economic research involving 20 seed producers will generate enterprise budgets to analyze crop- and region-specific production costs and returns. Outreach will focus on expanding skills and information-sharing among seed producers through field days, production guides, and online tools like a seed yield prediction database. The project aims to strengthen the nation's organic seed systems to support the integrity and growth of the organic industry. By providing research-based organic seed production knowledge and best practices, the project seeks to help expand the diversity and quantity of organic seed available to farmers. Increased adoption of organic seed represents an important step in building robust organic supply chains to satisfy consumer demand. Furthermore, reducing barriers to organic seed production can create new economic opportunities for organic farmers to diversify their operations. By engaging a wide audience of researchers, farmers, seed companies, and agricultural service providers, this project will support the success of organic seed systems and organic agriculture more broadly.?