Huge damage in agriculture, innovation of biological bases must be accelerated

Géza Takács, President of the Seed Association Interprofessional Organization and Product Council and Prof. Dr. László Amand Palkovics (Photo: KRQ)

The past five years have been the most difficult period for Hungarian agriculture: epidemics, war situations, rising input prices, inflationary effects and pesticide withdrawals have all reduced the competitiveness of the sector. This is further complicated by climate change, which is also making its impact felt in our country in the form of rising average temperatures, heat, drought, late frosts and extreme rainfall. As a result of all this, the yields of the main cereal crops – corn, winter wheat, sunflower – have fluctuated significantly in recent years. The extent of the damage to agriculture has reached 1,000 billion forints in five years, according to estimates. “In our highly export-oriented sector, which is considered the first, strategic step of agricultural management, more than 100 different species and nearly 1,500 varieties of seeds are propagated and certified every year. The value of seeds sold domestically and abroad amounts to approximately 200 billion forints. The changes experienced in our country are also having a serious impact on the seed sector, therefore, according to our association representing approximately 1,500 businesses and research institutions interested in it, the time has come for agriculture to enter a new era. We consider it a key issue for the future that plant breeders should produce varieties and hybrids that can perform adequately in the midst of a changing climate and are resistant to pathogens. An important scientific achievement in this area, precision breeding, creates serious opportunities, which contributes to the sustainable development and effectiveness of Hungarian agriculture. As a professional organization, we considered it important to initiate a dialogue on this issue with the with government decision-makers and fellow professional organizations.” – explained Géza Takács, President of the Seed Association Interprofessional Organization and Product Council, at the organization’s press conference in Budapest.

Position on precision breeding

The Presidency of the Seed Association Interprofessional Organization and Product Council adopted the following position on precision breeding in 2022: precision breeding is an innovative process in which researchers exclusively use useful properties that occur in nature, thus shortening the plant breeding process by years. Due to the increasingly significant climate change and the requirements for the lowest possible use of pesticides, precision breeding is essential for agriculture to adapt to changed climatic conditions and to achieve appropriate crop results. Precision breeding provides domestic producers with seeds that can be the basis for supplying society with healthy, GMO-free food and for the competitiveness of Hungarian agriculture. Prof. Dr. László Amand Palkovics, a professor at the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty of Plant Sciences, Széchenyi István University, explained that today, plants produced by precision breeding are grown on about 75 million hectares worldwide. The size of the global precision breeding market was 7.26 billion USD in 2023, and is predicted to grow to 15.69 billion USD by 2032, showing a compound annual growth rate of 10.10%. Currently, about 22 plant species, 6 animal species, and 1 fungus are included in the scope of precision breeding in the world. “Precision breeding – the CRISPR/Cas9 technology – is a brilliant, Nobel Prize-winning innovation that must be sharply distinguished from GMOs. The essence of precision breeding is that we do not implant a foreign gene, but rather change the genes in the plant. This allows us to precisely shape plant properties: for example, drought tolerance or resistance to various pathogens. In Hungary, it is impossible to protect against Fusarium and Aspergillus, which are becoming increasingly problematic due to climate change, with plant protection, but with precision breeding we can create varieties that are resistant to fungi that produce mycotoxins that cause serious feed and human health effects. This technology also provides a solution that cannot be solved by breeding for resistance with classical breeding in the absence of resistance genes. The same method can also be used to quickly improve the drought tolerance of well-established plant species or the shelf life of various crops and food plants, which would also reduce food waste. Precision breeding can be used in practically all arable crops, vegetables and fruits, and today there are already results in animal husbandry. This innovation, which has been accepted and used in many parts of the world, would open up the possibility of improving the effectiveness of farming with varieties bred for Hungarian climatic conditions. – emphasized Prof. Dr. László Amand Palkovics. It was stated at the press conference: in the Agriculture Council of the European Union, the representatives of the member states voted on the draft regulation on precision breeding techniques on March 14, thus paving the way for the final creation of the legislative framework. The current Presidency of the European Union may launch negotiations with the EU Parliament for the final adoption and entry into force of the regulation, which is expected to happen this year.