Page 8 - Breeding and regulatory opportunities, Renaud

for support in data collection of the ield trials. For the Maine trials, I wish to

thank Dr. Mark Hutton for executing the trials and students Heather Bryant,

Chris Hillard and Greg Koller for support in data collection of the ield trials. I also

thank Highmoor Farm Superintendent, Dr. David Handley University of Maine

Cooperative Extension.

For the soil analysis, I thank Dr. Michelle Wander from the University of Illinois,

Urbana and her students. At Wageningen University, I thank Joao Paulo, Paul

Keizers, Fred van Eeuwijk and Chris Maliepaard for support with the statistical

analysis. I thank Carl Jones for his valuable input on iterations of this research

and Ric Gaudet for support in data organization. I would also like to thank Guusje

Bonnema for her original input on the research concepts developed in these

chapters. I thank Wageningen University, Oregon State University and Vitalis

Organic Seeds, Enza Zaden for their inancial and in-kind support in making

this research possible.

I want to explicitly acknowledge Jan Velema, founder of Vitalis and organic

seed visionary who created the opportunity for my employment, my doctoral

education and completion of this thesis. Further I would also like to acknowledge

my colleagues at Vitalis Organic Seeds who are exemplars of persons dedicated

to the improvement of organic seed systems on multiple levels, namely Maarten

Vrensen, Rob Wittenberg, Taco van der Made, Marcel van Diemen, Han Wilbrink,

Henk Haitsma, Amy Kaplan, Shaina Bronstein and Alfonso Valadez. Also to my

many colleagues at Enza Zaden, particularly Dominic Bouchard, Nick Barnes,

Freek Knol, Vicki Avina, Rodolfo Leyva, Bram van Staalduinen, Klemens Holz and

Jan Draaistra, who have made my professional life more dynamic and inclusive,

and particularly to Ton van der Velden, who provided the support and lexibility

necessary to both complete this thesis and to develop Vitalis Organic Seeds

North America.

During this extended period of research and writing, I have received much

moral support from my friends and family. From the outset, fellow student Diana

Londono has been a great supporter while sharing an appreciation for politics,

science and culture. Claudius van de Vijver, has been a staunch supporter

and coach. Pauline Kerbiriou, Jerome Collemare and Stephen Sherwood.I

could not have imagined we would create such a warm household, enjoying