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A symposium on “Breeding for Diversification” was organized by the EUCARPIA Section Organic and Low-Input Agriculture. The symposium took place at the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, from the 19^th – 20^th February 2018, including an additional Organic Breeders Day on the 21^st February organized by LIVESEED and ECO-PB (European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding). A number of research project members participated at the symposium including researchers from INSUSFAR, DIVERSify, LIVESEED, HEALTHYMINORCEREALS.eu, Wheatamix and ReMIX. The symposium focused on breeding for both intra- and inter-species diversity, important research topics also addressed within the ReMix project. The intra-species session included research presentations on crop trait plasticity, genotype x environment interactions, tools and systems in order to increase and maintain diversity within fields and on-farm, as well as innovative approaches to optimize diversity for sustainable farming systems of the future. The session on inter-specific diversity covered research results and discussion on optimizing mixed cropping systems through trait and ideotype identification and optimization, below-ground interactions and diversity, as well as disease and weed control mechanisms and management in intercropped systems. Additional sessions of the symposium included “Breeding for inter-species diversity in perennial crops/agroforestry” and “ General concepts of breeding for improved diversity”, which included presentations on experimental design, intra- and inter-specific competition, environmentally challenging cropping systems and integrated approaches to support the use of genetic resources from agronomic management to product processing. The ReMix project was well represented with project partners present from Germany, Switzerland, France, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands.

Abstracts of the Symposium are available on the following link: http://www.uni-kassel.de/upress/online/OpenAccess/978-3-7376-0462-8.OpenAccess.pdf