Leek and French Shallot seed improvement�A work in progress

Richard Favreau

Ferme Val-aux-Vents

Saint-Valérien-de-Rimouski, Québec

2021

rfavreau@globetrotter.net

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La Ferme Val-aux-Vents (1996)�Richard Favreau et Monique Michaud

2, 4 acres for CSA and chefs

Frost-free: 115-120

Saving leeks seeds for 20 years�Shallots seeds started five years later

First : for our farm’s needs

2010 : Home gardeners through

La société des Plantes du Kamouraska (Patrice Fortier).

Seed saving in a short season

Little or no black seeds apparent on harvest day

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Need season extension

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Hanging and slow drying for post-harvest maturation over 10 weeks

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Leek selection

Parent : Unique (1998)

Winter survival

Long shaft

Finely grained flesh

Non-bulbous base

Yield

Shallot selection

Storage, colour and shape

Pale yellow syndrome

?

Jersey type

BRIX > 13

Excellent caramelization

To interest market gardeners

Market gardeners are now used to modern hybrids

and may be disappointed by some OP

• Seed germination
• Seed vigor
• Uniformity
• Earlyness
• Resistance package
• Yield

Were my leek and shallot seeds good enough ?

Diagnosis�Market gardeners: lack of early seedling vigor

2018 : Winter leek trial

2019 : Shallot 2 farms trial

King Richard 185 g

Val-aux-Vents 177 g

Unique 139 g

Val-aux-Vents 22 t/ha

Camelot F1 46 t/ha

Readings

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Seed size sorting seems to be a quick way of improvement

+ Seed size sorting (screening)

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+ Seed germination % AND

+ Seedling vigor

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+ Resistance to adverse conditions

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+ Increased yield

https://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=433_65 )

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Flowering and Seed Development in Onion—A Review (scirp.org)

Density sorting (immersion)

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+ Seed germination %

Function of screens

Screening of viable (sinking) seeds (AFTER immersion)

• 1,65 mm screen : getting rid of viable but too small seeds
• 2 mm screen : keeps the bigger seeds (shallots)
• 1,65 < X < 2mm : medium seeds (shallot) (to be tested)

Leek (2019)

No screen : 400 s/g

After 1,65 : 300 s/g 60 %

(40% discarded)

Shallots (2020)

No screen : 350 s/g

1,65< X > 2 mm : 300 s/g (50%)

After 2 mm : 250 s/g (35 %)

(15 -65 % discarded)

1,65 mm

2 mm

Effect of seed size on germination

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Added

seedling

vigor

253 s/g germinate better (more and faster)

Screening is not the only way

2019 shallot seed trial :

Field/small bulb (40 g)

vs

Tunnel/big bulb (75 g)

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Tunnel/big bulb:

+ 230 % seed harvest

+ 200 % seed number

+ 10 % seed mean weight

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Tunnel seed (Yellow and red)

germinate better (more and faster)

-Test on 2mm screened seeds

Reading : Using bigger bulbs generate higher number of seed and seed mean weight

2020 : Big bulb in the field produced yield (nb + weight) in-between tunnel/big bulb and field/small bulb

Effet of seed size on yield

Leek

No 1,65 mm screening : av. 200-250 g/piece

2020 with 1,65 mm screening : av. 325 g/piece

Shallot

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2 mm screening has improved Val-aux-Vents shallot’s yield vs Camelot F1’s.

(from <50% to 85%)

Seed production yield

• Leek (> 1,65 mm) : 1,9 to 2,5 g/plant

To be improved : Dark plastic mulch, tunnel ?

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• Shallot (> 1,65 mm)
• Field small bulb (2019) : 1,9 g/bulb
• Tunnel big bulb (2019) : 6,2 g/bulb
• Field big bulb (2020) : 4,6 g/bulb

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Would a dark plastic mulch enhance the yield ?

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Conclusion

Questions :

• Does using bulbs grown from big seeds will enhance seed production and seed mean weight ? (genetic or growing conditions ?)
• How far increasing OP seed size may compensate for hybrid’s seed vigor ?
• As seed sorting means discarding numerous seeds, where is the balance between optimal quality of seed and breeder’s income ?

Density sorting +

Size sorting +

Big Bulb +

Tunnel

+ Seed number

+ Seed weight

+ Seedling vigor

+ Yield

Thank you !

Graduation : 0,5 mm

Croquis tiré de : Détermination et conservation de la faculté germinative des graines (quelques problèmes de Physiologie) - Persée (persee.fr)

Abstract

• In cool regions, Leeks and Shallots hardly get enough time to complete their seed development cycle. At day of harvest, very little (shallot) or no (leek) black seeds exposed.
• 10 week hanging with stalks and very slow drying permit post-harvest development and maturing of viable seeds.
• Floating is used for sorting density (seed germination %).
• Screening is used for size sorting. Increased size of seed acts on seed germination % and seedling vigor, which acts on resistance to adverse conditions and yield.
• Second-year of production under shelter and the use of good sized bulbs increase the yield and mean weight of shallots seeds, compared to field grown from small bulbs.
• Germination tests results in more concentrated germination of seeds grown from big bulbs in a tunnel than those grown from small bulbs in open field. More concentrated germination indicate increased seed vigor.
• Using screened shallot seeds has resulted in a substantial narrowing of the gap between Val-aux-Vent OP shallot seed yield compared to the hybrid’s. Substantial yield increase also has been observed for leeks following screening.
• How far increasing OP seed size may compensate for hybrid’s vigor ?
• Does using bulbs grown from big seeds will enhance seed production and seed mean weight ? (genetic or growing conditions ?)
• Seed sorting mean discarding a lot of seeds. Where is the balance between optimal seed quality and seed breeder’s income ?

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