Distinction for Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute in the AGRA 2022 Innovation Contest

The official award ceremony of the AGRA 2022 Innovation Competition was held under the motto “Scientific research and innovation are an investment in the future“. Every year this competition is one of the most anticipated events of the agricultural forum, where innovative products and developments in the field of agriculture take part. They are presented for the first time at the international exhibition and demonstrate genuine innovations or original improvements whose main objective is to establish a link between science and business and to bring back to the table the recently forgotten taste of products made from Bulgarian varieties.

AGRA 2022 – scientific research and innovation are an investment in the future

The Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute – General Toshevo presented its latest varieties and hybrids of cereals, grain legumes and sunflower, and in the Innovation Competition it received an award for the first Bulgarian sunflower hybrid resistant to the parasite broomrape, race Н – “Krasela“. It is the third consecutive sunflower hybrid to win the competition, after “Deveda“ in 2019 and “Enigma“ in 2020.

“Krasela“ is a conventional linoleic, medium-early hybrid with medium-sized black seeds with faint grey stripes along the edge. The plant reaches a height of 145–150 cm, the head has a diameter of 22–24 cm, and the thousand kernel weight is 68 g. In dry years the yield reaches up to 3.5 t/ha, and under optimal moisture conditions – 4.2 t/ha. The oil content of the seeds is 52%. The hybrid is resistant to downy mildew (race 731) and is the first Bulgarian hybrid resistant to broomrape, race Н, which is the most aggressive and, when present in the soil, can reduce the yield to zero levels. There are no specific requirements regarding the cultivation technology. The maternal and paternal lines flower at the same time and, when producing hybrid seed, can be sown simultaneously. Hybrid “Krasela“ is successfully grown in years with minimal moisture and in areas infested with the most aggressive races of the broomrape pathogen. It is suitable for cultivation throughout the country due to its resistance to all broomrape races identified and distributed so far on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

In the innovation competition, the institute also participated with the variety “Doni 52“ – a winter

hexaploid triticale for grain, which combines exceptionally attractive characteristics, and with the variety “Borislav“ – the triticale with the highest productive potential created, registered and zoned in the country so far.

The Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute is the largest centre for breeding and agrotechnics of cereals, grain legumes and sunflower in Bulgaria. Here, classical breeding methods and traditional agrotechnical practices are successfully combined with innovative approaches – this is the formula for success in creating new, high-yielding varieties and hybrids with improved quality indicators.

The Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute will offer farmers a wide range of seed of spring crops for the upcoming sowing campaign: sunflower – the hybrids “Krasela“, “Dara“, “Enigma“ and the variety “Favorit“; 5 bean varieties – “Eliksir“, “Skitia“, “Blyan“, “Ustrem“ and “Vezhen“; 3 pea varieties – “Mishel“, “Kristal“ and “Dobrotitsa“. The varieties and hybrids combine high productivity and quality and are therefore sought after and preferred every year by farmers in the Dobrudzha region and throughout the country.