THE SHORT HISTORY OF REGISTRATION AND USE OF PULSE VARIETIES IN THE COMMON CATALOGUE
DOI:10.30825/5.EJPAU.162.2018.21.4

Janusz Prusiński
Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, UTP University of Science and Technology, Bydgoszcz, Poland

ABSTRACT

Based on national registers of member countries, European Commission develops the Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species [CCA]. The paper regards the following species of pulses from the plant variety catalogues: broad bean, pea, white lupine, blue lupine and yellow lupine, spring and winter vetch, as well as Hungarian vetch. The average number of pulse varieties entered in the common catalogue in the studied 5-year periods was 726 (from 765 in 2000 up to 693 in 2017), and currently it indicates a slight decreasing tendency. France, United Kingdom and Poland prevail in the number of registered pulse varieties in the common catalogue. The average area of commercial sowing of pulses over the analyzed years indicates growing tendencies in the case of broad bean and lupine, decreasing – for vetch, and remaining on the more or less the same level for pea with significant fluctuations, which does not indicate pulses as the growing source of plant protein in EU countries. Production of the qualified seed material was sufficient to change it in the commercial production at least once in every two years, except lupine, where a visible decreasing tendency is observed in supplying farmers with the qualified seed material.

Key words: pulses, cultivar registration, seed production.

INTRODUCTION

According to FAO [9], pulses include 10 genera from the family Fabaceae: broad bean, chick pea, dry bean, cow pea, pea, pigeon pea, lupine, lentil, peanut and vetch as well as other unclassified pulses, which are used in human and/or animal nutrition. According to a definition, pulses are annual plants containing from 1 to 12 seeds in their pods. The term pulses is restricted to the cultivation of legume plants collected exclusively for their dry seeds. FAO does not include soybean in pulses, which despite belonging to the same botanical family (Fabaceae), is classified as an oil plant.

United Nations General Assembly announced 2016 as the International Year of Pulses [20]. The main aim of the United Nations was raising public awareness on the subject of benefits resulting from including pulses in the sowing structure, using them in human and animal nutrition and in the food safety of the world, as well as familiarizing people with their meaning for the environment and sustainable development. EU supports an increase in the production of pulses intended for nutrition and feeds, and their contribution to the development of the more sustainable agricultural systems in Europe. The role of pulses in human and animal nutrition has been considered as a significant source of plant protein along with other benefits for health and the environment, mainly for the soil [7, 11, 18].

Pulses are cultivated in almost all EU countries. The area of their cultivation in EU in the years 2006–2016 increased from 1.5 to 2.019 million ha, which constituted 2.1% of arable lands of EU, mainly owing to an increase in sowing in the past 3 years in such countries as Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria [1]. This was also the result of introducing Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and green direct payment scheme, and spending since 2015 443 million Euros by 16 countries on the sector of pulses (high-protein), which most probably contributed to increasing their sowing area.

In the season 2015–2016 European Commission [3] for the first time published a protein index based on the size of production, consumption and trade with all protein sources in animal feeds. Using cereals for feed purposes in protein balance was 174.4 million t – from which up to 92% came from the EU countries. However, only 5% of soybean meal used in animal nutrition came from EU production, which indicated a necessity to import high-protein raw materials, but also the production of plant protein from pulses cultivated in EU countries.

Trends currently observed in EU indicate that by 2020 area of pulses cultivation may decrease even by 327.000 ha, i.e. by 24%; at the same time an increase in soybean sowing is predicted by 213.000 ha (mainly in the Danube region), i.e. by 70%, which may however indicate further reduction of sowing of pulses, raising significant doubts concerning meeting the needs and necessity to increase import of plant protein to EU [12, 19]. Higher and higher number of varieties and sowing area for GMO soybean is expected outside of EU, constituting basic source of plant protein, especially for poultry and swine. The offered solutions aiming at increasing sowing of the indigenous pulses include direct payments to ha of these cultivations, inclusion of pulses into proecological areas, promotion of pulses cultivated for seeds, and also encouraging changes in the consumption from animal protein to plant protein [11]. The condition essential for increasing sowing of pulses in EU are among others, a better economic evaluation of the production of pulse seeds, high seed yields and their stability over years, obtained production value, environmental benefits for farmers from their cultivation, as well as supporting public opinion [12]. Undoubtedly, these are important elements in favor of taking a decision about starting/extending cultivation of pulses in EU countries.

Meanwhile, among about 10 million family farms in EU-28 covering 116 million of agricultural areas [10], pulses are currently cultivated on about 346 000 farms, 90% of them are greater than 10 ha [2]. The greatest number of farms cultivating pulses are in Romania (28.8%) and in Poland (19.2%). However, in Romania merely 2.4% of European pulses are cultivated. On the other hand, in Great Britain and France merely 0.1 and 0.3% of farms cultivate pulses, however the area of their cultivation constitutes 10.4% and 15.7%, respectively, of the total area of pulses cultivated in EU. In 2015 22.5% of pulse cultivation in EU was located in Spain, then in Poland (18.6%), France (12.4%), and Great Britain (9.8%), whereby these two latter countries are the greatest producers of their seeds. 

All over the world, production of crop plants, including pulses, is highly specialized and is currently based on a very small number of species. This paper regards the following species of pulses from the plant variety catalogues: broad bean, pea, white lupine, blue lupine and yellow lupine, spring and winter vetch, as well as Hungarian vetch. Every year in EU farm owners cultivating pulses must take a decision about the selection of varieties of the cultivated species. In countries where exchange of the seed material does not occur on an annual basis, although the problem of selecting a cultivar is smaller, to some extent farmers agree to cultivate in subsequent years varieties of a lower biological value (this concerns seed yield, resistance to diseases or pest etc. resulting from degeneration, e.g. hybridization, mixing of seeds, infection of plants and seeds by diseases and pests, etc.). 

REGISTRATION OF PULSE VARIETIES IN THE EU COMMON CATALOGUE

Council Directive of the European Economic Community of 14 June 1966 [4] on trading with seed material of fodder, indicates that obtaining satisfactory effects in the cultivation of fodder crops, to a large extend depends on the application of a suitable seed material, especially if member countries will apply uniform principles when selecting varieties admitted to trading. On the other hand, Council Directive of 29 September 1970 [5] on the Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species emphasized that production of seed material for agricultural plants occupies an important position in Community agriculture, and its objective is assuring buyers that they get a high quality seed material of a particular variety.

Based on national registers of member countries, European Commission develops the Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species (CCA). Varieties included in CCA are admitted to trading on the territory of the European Union. Community Plant Variety Right (CPVR) is granted by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) with the headquarters in Angers, France. Upon the entry into force of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), the common catalogue also includes varieties from EFTA countries, meeting the requirements of this agreement. Furthermore, according to the agreement between the European Community and the Old Swiss Confederacy concerning trading with agricultural products, the common catalogue also covers species varieties which are admitted in Switzerland, which meet the requirements of the agreement. The condition of registration of a variety in the common catalogue is registering it in the national catalogue. Each variety must be characterized by distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS), as well as by the value for cultivation and use (VCU), i.e. yield, resistance to harmful organisms, response to environmental conditions and yield quality [6]. Within every species, varieties are specified in an alphabetical order, in accordance with the names accepted for them. New varieties may be registered in a member country or EFTA country only under one name. Complete issues of CCA are published annually, whereby 7 supplements appear covering the successively made changes concerning national registers of UE member countries. Common Catalogues along with supplements are published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The following analysis was carried out based on data included in the Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species [13–17].

The average number of pulse varieties [pea, broad bean, lupine, vetch] entered in the common catalogue in the studied 5-year periods was 726 (from 765 in 2000 up to 693 in 2017), and currently it indicates a slight decreasing tendency (Tab. 1). In the catalogue there definitely prevail varieties of field pea, and then of broad bean and spring vetch, a smaller number was registered in the order of: blue lupine, winter vetch, as well as white and yellow lupine, and only single varieties of Hungarian vetch. Varieties of 6 legume species were registered in 2 or more EU countries, hence the average number of varieties  registered in the studied years was 889 (from 934 in 2000 up to 811 in 2017), i.e. by 163 more than registered ones in only 1 country. Most registrations of varieties coming from outside of own country were observed in France, Great Britain and in Poland, and the fewest in Ireland, Belgium and on Cyprus (Fig. 1). The most willingly registered varieties by other countries were those of field pea (Hardy, Konto, Nitouche, Astronaute and Salamanca), broad bean (Sirocco and Fanfare), spring vetch (Ebena I) and blue lupine (Boruta) (Tab. 2).

France, United Kingdom and Poland prevail in the number of registered pulse varieties in the common catalogue (Tab. 3). The smallest number of varieties were registered on Cyprus, in Belgium, Ireland, Romania and in Sweden, and no varieties at all on Malta.

In registration of varieties of field pea, there prevail France, Great Britain, and also Romania and the Czech Republic; only in the case of 2 countries – Cyprus and Malta, no registration for this species was observed (Fig. 2). The total annual average number of registered varieties of field pea was about 450, and it has indicated a decreasing tendency over the past 12 years. 

Most varieties of broad bean in the analyzed years, were registered in France, Great Britain, Poland and Spain, while in 7 countries varieties of this species were not registered at all (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Latvia and Malta) (Fig. 3). On average over the study years, in the EU catalogue, there were about 150 varieties of broad bean, and their number over the evaluation years has remained on a more or less the same level.

White lupine varieties were registered in only 10 EU countries, definitely the most in France, and then in Germany, Hungary and in United Kingdom (Fig. 4). However, the total average number of registered varieties of this species over the years of research was small and amounted to about 25, and moreover it has indicated a decreasing tendency for the past 12 years.

Blue lupine varieties come mainly from Poland and Germany, and besides, also from other 11 countries (Fig. 5); on average annually there were about 45 varieties of this species in the UE catalogue. An interest in breeding and registration of new varieties of this species seems to be increasing, especially in Poland.

Breeding and registration of yellow lupine was carried out to a various extent in 9 countries, however, to a significant degree only in Poland, to a definitely smaller extent also in Germany and Spain (Fig. 6). For the past 12 years, there has been a clearly visible reduction in breeding programs and registration numbers of varieties of this species in EU countries.

Over the analyzed years, there were on average about 130 varieties of spring vetch in the common catalogue, whereby Spain, France, Italy and Greece prevailed in registration (Fig. 7), and to a smaller extent also 15 other UE countries.

Winter vetch varieties were registered in 11 UE countries, definitely the most in Italy, but also in the Czech Republic and in Spain (Fig. 8). On average, there were about 27 varieties of this species in the register, with minor fluctuations over consecutive analyzed years.

Only in 4 EU countries, registration of Hungarian vetch was observed, i.e. in Hungary, and also in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and in France, 1 variety in each one, however in total no more than 3–4 varieties (Fig. 9).

THE USE OF BIOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

The largest areas of commercial cultivation of pulses over the analyzed years regard field pea (significant fluctuations in the sowing in consecutive periods), then broad bean (a growing tendency), lupins (a growing tendency), and vetches (a decreasing tendency) (Fig. 10). In total, over the consecutive research years, these species occupied consecutively 1.365; 1.359, 1.298 and 1.543 million ha. It should be indicated that cultivation of high-protein pulses in Europe is constantly insufficient, and the undertaken incentives and/or regulations in EU policy to increase the area of their sowing, do not bring the expected effects.

From the detailed calculations there result big differences in the use of varieties of the studied species in the commercial production (Fig. 11). For every registered variety of field pea, there were on average from 1601 ha to 2301 ha of commercial plantations, from 1005 ha to 2360 ha of broad bean, from 485 ha to 1945 ha of lupins, and from 423 ha to 1113 ha of vetches. The greatest unitary use of a variety for commercial sowing was found in Sweden – one variety of field pea was sown on the area from 3228 ha (2010) to 12 640 ha (2016). In the case of broad bean it was from 5005 (2010) to 5572 ha (2005) in France, for lupine from 1608 (2005) to 2860 (2016) in Germany, 2685 ha (2005) in Spain, and 3422 ha in Poland (2016), and for vetch from 2001 ha (2016) to 4803 ha (2000) in Spain. In many EU countries, despite registering pulse varieties in them, areas of their sowing and the use of varieties in commercial production are small, or they are not registered by FAOSTAT. Over the analyzed years, vetch was not cultivated in the following countries: Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Great Britain, Estonia and Finland, and lupine in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, on Cyprus, in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Luxemburg, Holland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Great Britain, Estonia and Finland. Field pea was cultivated in 24 EU countries, and broad bean in 18 of them. 

From the assumption it follows that the newly registered varieties should yield higher than those already registered. Over the analyzed years, however, a visible drop in the yield has been observed in field pea sown in the EU, slight changes in the yield of broad bean, and a rising tendency in the seed yield in the case of lupins and vetches (Fig. 12).

PRODUCTION AND USE OF THE SEED MATERIAL

One of the potential conditions for an increase in the seed yield and commercial production efficiency is/should be the use of the qualified seed material and introduction of new varieties into production. The mean total area of seed production over analyzed years was 102,310 ha, and seed production up to 177.830 t, which ensured the practical exchange of seed pulses and use of biological progress of new varieties every 2nd year (Tab. 4). According to complete available data in the years 2000–2016 in EU countries, field pea was produced on the mean area of 50.628 ha and with small fluctuations over the analyzed years, mainly in France, the Czech Republic and Germany (Tab. 4). Seed production of vetch cultivars was carried out on average on 22.086 ha, mainly in Spain, Italy and France, of broad bean on average 18.398 ha, the biggest producers of broad bean seeds in the order were: Great Britain, France and Italy. Lupine seed was produced on the mean area of only 8.198 ha – with a visible tendency to increase propagation sowing (from 6.071 ha to 11.187 ha); the main producers of the seed material of lupine included in the order: Poland, Germany and France.

The produced qualified seed material of pulses over the same years allowed for applying it in EU countries on average almost every year (vetch and field pea), every second year – broad bean, and only once in 4 years – lupine.

SUMMARY

Pulses play a significant role in ensuring food safety in EU countries and in improving soil quality through nitrogen fixing. To meet the growing requirement for vegetable protein, new intensive breeding works are necessary [18]. Genetic diversity, better nutritive value, increased yield, possibility to decrease pesticide application, increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses etc. are essential in low-cost production technologies of pulses and when increasing their sowing area [8].

In the EU common catalogue the most registered varieties of pulses include in the order the following species: field pea, broad bean, spring vetch, blue lupine, winter vetch, white lupine, yellow lupine and Hungarian vetch. Analysis of varieties of pulses in CCA allows for making the following observations:

1. The average number of pulse varieties registered in CCA over the analyzed years has systematically decreased.
2. In the common catalogue, there definitely prevail varieties of field pea, then in the order: broad bean, spring vetch, blue lupine, winter vetch, white lupine, yellow lupine and Hungarian vetch.
3. Most pulse varieties in the CCA catalogue are registered by France, United Kingdom, Poland and Spain, and the fewest by Ireland, Belgium and Cyprus; no pulse varieties are registered by Malta.
4. France, United Kingdom and Poland in their own catalogues register the most varieties created by other countries.
5. The most popular, registered by at least a few EU countries included varieties of field pea – Hardy, Konto, Nitouche, Astronaute and Salamanca; broad bean – Sirrocco and Fanfare, spring vetch – Ebena and blue lupine – Boruta.
6. The most varieties of field pea are registered by France, United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, broad bean – France, United Kingdom and Poland, white lupine – France, Germany and Hungary, blue lupine – Poland, Germany and Lithuania, yellow lupine – Poland, Germany and Spain, spring vetch – France, Spain and Italy, winter vetch – Italy, and Hungarian vetch – Hungary.
7. On average, each variety of field pea was sown on the area of 1884 ha, broad bean – 1747 ha, lupine – 1230 ha, and vetch – 791 ha, which with high costs of breeding of pulse varieties seems to be a poor use of them in the commercial production.
8. The average area of commercial sowing of pulses over the analyzed years indicates growing tendencies in the case of broad bean and lupine, decreasing – for vetch, and remaining on the more or less the same level for pea with significant fluctuations, which does not indicate pulses as the growing source of plant protein in EU countries.
9. Over the analyzed years, a visible decreasing tendency in the yield was observed in the case of field pea; in other species, despite differences in the analyzed years, obtained seed yields were similar, and the effect of newly registered varieties on the seed yield height was marginal.
10. Production of the qualified seed material was sufficient to change it in the commercial production at least once in every two years, except lupine, where a visible decreasing tendency is observed in supplying farmers with the qualified seed material.

REFERENCES

Accepted for print: 7.10.2018

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