Return of Ancient Wheats, Emmer and Einkorn, a Pesticide-Free Alternative for a More Sustainable Agriculture—A Summary of a Comprehensive Analysis from Central Europe

Szilvia Bencze (), Ferenc Bakos, Péter Mikó, Mihály Földi, Magdaléna Lacko-Bartošová, Nuri Nurlaila Setiawan, Anna Katalin Fekete and Dóra Drexler
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Szilvia Bencze: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary
Ferenc Bakos: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary
Péter Mikó: Agricultural Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, 2462 Martonvásár, Hungary
Mihály Földi: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary
Magdaléna Lacko-Bartošová: Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, 949 76 Nitra-Chrenová, Slovakia
Nuri Nurlaila Setiawan: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary
Anna Katalin Fekete: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary
Dóra Drexler: ÖMKi, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 1038 Budapest, Hungary

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-21

Abstract: Conventional agriculture, focusing on productivity rather than sustainability, have long abandoned hulled wheats. With them not only striking genetic diversity but valuable, health-promoting food sources became lost. Although einkorn and emmer—two of the most ancient wheat species—are generally considered good candidates of sustainable agriculture especially for pesticide-free cropping, they have remained largely unrecognized. To assess their agronomic potential in comparison with modern wheats grown under the same conditions, comprehensive research was conducted, combining multi-location participatory on-farm and small-plot trials. Our findings confirmed that most landraces of emmer and einkorn exhibited strong weed suppression ability, making them suitable for organic cultivation, and effective resistance against diseases—including Fusarium spp. and associated deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin accumulation. Both species were entirely avoided by cereal leaf beetles ( Oulema spp.) and had, on average, 2.6% more grain protein content than common wheat. Although they command significantly higher market prices, their (hulled) yields were comparable to modern wheat only in extreme years or at sites typically producing 3–5 t/ha of wheat. Nevertheless, the cultivation of emmer and einkorn presents a more sustainable "sow-and-harvest" alternative, free from pesticide and mycotoxin residue risks, while also enhances biodiversity from the field to the table.

Keywords: ancient wheat; disease resistance; grain quality; organic farming; participatory research; pesticide-free cropping; sustainable agriculture; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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