Institutional research project

„Sustainable Systems and Technologies, Improving Crop Production for Higher Quality of Production of Food, Feed, and Raw Materials, under Conditions of Changing Climate“  (Institutional project, funded since 2014)
Ing. Jiban Kumar, Ph.D. is the Coordinator of this project.
This project has been run under Ministry of Agriculture funding, code RO0414 (2014 funding), and code RO0415 (2015 funding).
The project is structurally organized into three areas of research and 25 phases

Framework and purpose of this research:
Research in the field of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
• Focusing on crop production.
• Generating original information, innovative practices, and new technologies leading toward:
– Improvements in the production potential of plants and of their stability.
– Creating a balanced system of crop production, food supply for food security, as well as healthy and high-quality agricultural production.
• Creating support for bio-economics in the Czech Republic under conditions of changing climate.

Research Theme No. 1: Sustainable arable land management and cropping systems
(Leader of the theme: Ing. Eva Kunzová, CSc.)
Framework and objectives of this research theme: Optimization of farm systems and crop growth technologies in terms of sustainability, leading to preservation of the soil’s fertility and quality of agricultural land resources, enhancing plant nutrition, and prevention of adverse effects of farming on soils and the environment.

  • P 01: Integrated nutrition of field crops as a part of growing technologies. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Pavel Růžek, CSc.)
  • P 02: Growing multipurpose crops; biomass conversion of biomass or biowaste for biofuels, fertilizers, and reclamation substrates; including verification of application procedures and assessments of risks and benefits. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Sergej Usťak, CSc.)
  • P 03: Management of nutrients in field crops systems. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Eva Kunzová, CSc.)
  • P 04: Soil quality resulting from different management practices, and the impacts of these changes on agricultural sustainability. (Leader of this phase: RNDr. Mikuláš Madaras, Ph.D.)
  • P 05: Reception and utilization of nutrients by crops in terms of increased fluctuations in weather conditions. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Jan Haberle, CSc.)
  • P 06: Beneficial farming practices. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Jan Klír, CSc.)
  • P 07: Optimization of sustainable management and the use of permanent grassland.
  • P 08: Innovations in weed control systems on agricultural lands, and optimization of the management of farmlands and permanent grasslands. (Leader of this phase: Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jan Mikulka, CSc.)

Research Theme No. 2: Genetics, Plant Breeding, and Quality of Plant Products
(Leader of the theme: RNDr. Ilja Prášil, CSc.)
Framework and objectives of this research track: Study of the genetic foundations of economically important markers; selection, creation, and preservation of genotypes with desireable properties and characteristics; their utilization to improve the production potentials and utility values of agricultural crops.

  • P 09: Genetic diversity of crops, their preservation and use in breeding and cultivation practices. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Vojtěch Holubec, CSc.)
  • P 10: Study of the diversity of genetic resources in selected vegetables and specialty crops. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Karel Dušek, CSc.)
  • P 11: Physiological foundations of long-term preservation of vegetatively propagated plants at cryogenic temperatures. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Jiří Zámečník, CSc.)
  • P 12: Effective methods and procedures for evaluating the genetic diversity of storage proteins, and the nutritional properties of selected grains and minor crops. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Václav Dvořáček, Ph.D.)
  • P 13: Genetic resistance to abiotic stresses; application of proteomics and biotechnologies in plant breeding. (Leader of this phase: RNDr. Ilja Prášil, CSc.)
  • P 14: Genetic basis of breeding for resistance and adaptability (productivity) of cereals. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Jana Chrpová, CSc.)
  • P 15: Development and application of molecular genetics to increase the production potential of plants. (Leader of this phase: Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jaroslava Ovesná, CSc.)

Research Theme No. 3: Environmentally Balanced Systems of Crop Protection and Plant Health (Leader of the theme: Ing. Václav Stejskal, Ph.D.)
Framework and objectives of this research track: Enhancing information regarding the relationships between plants, pathogenic microorganisms, and pests in agro-ecosystems for development of the sustainable protection of cultivated plants, ensuring the stability of their production potential, and the safety of plant products.

  • P 16: Eco-friendly biopesticides with potential utilizations against pests and pathogens in plant protection. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Roman Pavela, Ph.D.)
  • P 17: Xenobiotics and physiological interactions of arthropods in crop protection. (Leader of this phase: Mgr. Jan Hubert, Ph.D.)
  • P 18: Risk analysis and pest management in agricultural warehouses and food processing plants. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Václav Stejskal, Ph.D.)
  • P 19: Studying the interactions of viral pathogens of plants, including hosts and vectors, under changing climate conditions. (Leader of this phase: Ing. Jiban Kumar, Ph.D.)
  • P 20: Integrated and biological protection of crops against pests. (Leader of this phase: Prof. RNDr. Ing. František Kocourek, CSc.)
  • P 21: Control of phytopathogenic prokaryotes on agricultural crops (Leader of this phase: Ing. Václav Krejzar, Ph.D.)
  • P 22: Diagnosis, occurrence, and control of harmful viruses and phytoplasma on fruit trees, vines, and vegetables. (Leader of this phase: Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jaroslav Polák, DrSc.)
  • P 23: Importance of the biodiversity of invertebrates and plants in plant protection. (Leader of this phase: Assoc. prof. RNDr. Pavel Saska, Ph.D.)
  • P 24: Microbial communities providing protection against crop pathogens. (Leader of this phase: RNDr. Markéta Marečková, Ph.D.)
  • P 25: Ecology, diagnosis, and control of fungal pathogens of field and horticultural crops. (Leader of this phase: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ing. Jaroslav Salava)