On April 18th 2024, Living Seeds Sementes Vivas (LSSV), a Portuguese company producing organic and biodynamic seeds and a partner entity of the LiveSeeding project, held an event on its farm in Idanha-a-Nova, Castelo Branco Portugal, where the LiveSeeding project was presented and their Living Lab for Vegetables was opened!
The event was attended by around 40 people from all over the country and representing various agricultural sectors. Researchers, University professors and students, farmers, technicians and public administrators, chefs and traders have gathered throughout the day in the various activities carried out.
Presentation of the LiveSeeding project
The meeting began with the LSSV company presentation, followed by a LiveSeeding presentation and the LSSV activities developed as part of the project. In addition to offering a project brochure and a package of seeds of organic varieties marketed by LSSV, a sachet with seeds from a melon breeding line was distributed to each participant with the aim of challenging guests to take part in a program of participatory plant breeding through the SeedLinked platform.
Furthrmore, Pedro Mendes-Moreira, professor and researcher at the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra (ESAC-IPC) – an entity that, together with LSSV, represents Portugal in the project consortium – presented the activities carried out within the scope of LiveSeeding by ESAC-IPC, specifically in the case of the extensive work developed with corn crop.
Visit to multiplication and breeding field
During the event, a visit was made to the LSSV facilities, showing the different departments: logistics, packaging and seed processing. This was followed by a visit to the fields, where it was possible to visit the trials, multiplication and breeding fields for broad beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils and broccoli.
During lunch, a sensory test and evaluation of organoleptic attributes of 4 broad bean breeding lines were carried out: 3 lines for organic varieties and 1 line for Organic Heterogeneous Material. Data relating to a panel of 30 tasters were obtained and validated. The lunch itself was made up of vegetables produced on the LSSV farm, whether from breeding lines or organic varieties. Peas, broccoli, broad beans and pumpkin were the main ingredients in the dishes prepared by the guest chef.
As a final session, the group was sub-divided into 5 random groups for a brainstorming and debate session in which the core theme was the search for solutions to understand, improve and bring the entire value chain of organic food production closer together. Starintg with seeds from genetic resources, through plant breeding, registration/validation, production, sale and consumption of the final product. Each group presented their thoughts and suggestions and the final result was extremely enriching.
It was a very fruitful day, where informality and good humour provided the perfect environment to share knowledge, network and bring the sectors together successfully and efficiently!
It is our conviction that this first day of the LSSV Vegetable Living Lab was the the perfect application of the concept of what a Living Lab should be, let there be more days like this!
