Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2013
- December 31, 2017
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Agricultural plants |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B006 |
Biomedical sciences |
Agronomics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
Researchers (28)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The proposed programme is the continuation of the research work, that has been conducted at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia in the frame of the 'Agrobiodiversity' programme. The purpose of joining researchers of two departments lies in a more intensive co-operation and in a more complex approach to the research of relationships between agricultural crops, harmful organisms, environment and in the improvement of agricultural plant varieties and crop production technologies.
Groups included in the programme have their common research interests in genetic resources, developing methods and tools for breeding of agricultural plants, studiing genome and biology of plants and of pathogenes and in plant physiology.
The sole nature of research in the field of agrobiodiversity is multidisciplinary. Research is directed to and connects genetics, population genetics, biochemistry and plant physiology with the study of harmful organisms and practical needs for development of crop production technologies, integrated plant protection, protection of environment and production of safe and quality food and feed.
We will be focused on biology of biotic and abiotic stress, bionomy of harmful organisms, their mitigation, interaction between organisms, influence of the environment on development, distribution and epidemiology of pathogens. With different technological approaches, breeding techniques and modern genetic technologies we will accelerate discovery and integration of new genes in selected agricultural plants and improve food production.
The programme solves complex questions with annotated interdisciplinary and combined approach and gives the basic knowledge for further cooperation in the sustainable, socio-economic and cultural development of Slovenia. Research is aimed towards designing baselines that will help Slovenian farmer to live and develop in the international competition.
Research programme group maintains an even share between applied and basic research and professional work. Infrastructure, research equipment and work conditions are fairly good.
The international recognition and continuity on the subject is demonstrated through successful participation in the EU projects and/or other forms of international cooperation as well as the numerous publications in recognized scientific journals. There are evident direct impacts of research results in the practice such as cooperation with seed companies and the relevance is further confirmed by the involvement of researchers in the pedagogical work at the Slovenian universities.
Scientific results are going to be the baseline for further developmental work and their transfer in the praxis. The biggest significance for the development of science in the wider sense is in the realization of aims that the research group has proposed, building of and knowledge dissemination, and linking all that in the sustainable development of our environment.
Significance for science
The research programme is designed multidisciplinary. This approach helps to interconnect and build up different fields of research to a better understanding and solving problems connected to the agrobiodiversity. With the research on biodiversity of agricultural crops, plant pests, pathogens and beneficial organisms we will not only preserve Slovene genetic resources, but also contribute to knowledge and preservation of the global biodiversity. An appropriate response to external stimuli at the cellular level is of fundamental importance to the continuing existence of plants, particularly in the case of stress from adverse environmental conditions. Plants have therefore developed both physiological and biochemical mechanisms that enable their survival which, although extensively studied, are far from completely understood. The integrated physiological, biochemical, genomic and proteomic approaches will provide the deep insight into the complex processes of stress tolerance, understanding of plant growth and development. Stress correlated molecular markers will offer the potential to tag actual determinants, which will improve breeding with marker assisted selection - MAS. The integration of molecular markers and diverse gene-like sequences into current international map through comparative genomics is the next step to targeted molecular breeding and germplasm management. The high-density map will resolve location of new, yet uncharacterized genes and provide a genomix framework for the investigation of synteny between plant systems. QTL cloning will improve our knowledge and understanding of natural fitness adaptation to diverse environment in the evolution.
Many attempts at effective biological control of insect pests in the field have failed so far, due to failure of recognition of the importance of entomopathogenic plant symbionts to form stable protective biofilms in the rhizosphere. We will try to surpass these shortcomings. In addition to classical entomopathogenicity screening, we will test the fungal isolates for their rhizosphere competence and thus will be able to push the knowledge in this field of research forward. The proposed research contributes significantly to the knowledge of the biodiversity of the species of plant parasitic nemathodes in Slovenia. Development of new molecular methods decreases the chance of possible errors in their diagnostics. The diversity research of plant viruses and fungi will enable us to explain the mode of their transmission, development in isolated environments and for explanation of interactions between pathogens and their vectors. The biggest significance for the development of science in the wider sense lies in the aims that the group has proposed: building of and knowledge dissemination, and linking all that in the sustainable development of our environment.
Significance for the country
Research programme will prepare the basis for Slovene farmers and food producers to develop and to survive in the international competition. The programme will help them to take the advantage of Slovene natural conditions, to analyse them and establish comparative advantages and disadvantages with the purpose to make Slovene agriculture competitive and recognizable in the EU market. Biodiversity research will contribute the new knowledge to preservation of genetic resources of agricultural crops and to preservation of Slovenian cultural heritage. The identified QTL regions and use of molecular markers increase speed and ease of the breeding process. Breeding of new varieties with improved resistance to various stress factors will contribute to quality, crop production stability and will lower risk of crop production losses. DNA and expressed sequences (mRNA) will be released in public databases to make them available for further genomic studies worldwide. The results of crop husbandry research will be directly implemented in practice by promotion of the healthy food and animal feed production with minimal impact on the environment with a focus on soil fertility. Studies of harmful organizms, the modes of their control and the influence of environment on their development, spread and epidemiology will provide us with tools for development and optimization of the strategies for effective and environmentaly friendly pest control in Slovenia (integrated pest management). Proposed research will form a basis for the development of new diagnostic methods, which will allow us faster and more efficient detection and plant pathogen control.
Continuous monitoring of insect pests and their accurate determination is crucial for the development and competitiveness of Slovenian agriculture. In this regard the research and development of new molecular identification methods will be conducted and biological control products based on entomopathogenic fungi developed. Such products are expected to have an increasing market share, since consumers are more and more aware of the harmful effects of constant exposure to many chemicals. The nemathodes are plant parasites that can seriously compromise crops in agriculture and forestry, therefore fast and reliable identification is essential for proper plant health control. On the other hand, enthomopathogenic nemathodes can be used as an effective biological plant protectant against some insects and nemathodes. The results of nemathode suppression research using biological agents will have significant influence on the development of new pest control strategies and on production of more healthy food in Slovenia. The results of the efficiency tests of Mi resistance gene and the impact of some chemical products and natural extracts could be directly implemented in vegetable production.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
