The seed house “Sadovo”: A well-managed project

The fifteenth consecutive edition of the demonstration and trial module “Open Wheat Day” of the Seed House “Sadovo”, part of the trading company ID Imperial, owned by Ivan Dragushev and his sons Svetlozar and Petar, was held in the corporate breeding garden near the village of Cheshnegirovo in the Plovdiv region. Here, traditionally, the national presentation of the breeding achievements of SH “Sadovo” starts at the 15 demonstration and trial sites across the country.

The breeding garden of SH “Sadovo” in Cheshnegirovo is an emblematic location where the “conception and birth” took place of the star quartet of the new-generation corporate breeding – the wheat varieties Lazur, Trakiika, Zebrets, Apolon, and the triticale Musala. From here these varieties of winter soft wheat set off on their victorious march to the summits of Bulgarian grain production and ranked among the best examples of domestic genetics in this key and sensitive segment, where today the competitive environment is a bomb with enormous charge. The stakes are high! Bulgaria versus Europe. Who will win? The answer remains to be seen.

This year again, as always so far, the event attracted the attention of the national elite in grain production – more than 200 successful farmers from all over the country. This representative, highly professional audience arrived here with great expectations – to receive exclusive first-hand information about the architecture of the engineering that generates new energy and builds upon what has been achieved so far.

Assoc. Prof. Marina Marcheva, the current head of the breeding programme of SH “Sadovo”, commented on the qualities of the wheat and triticale from the current commercial portfolio, as well as on their performance at national level – on about 1 million decares, in this year’s turbulent climatic and phytosanitary environment, characterised by major surprises and difficult-to-predict situations.

Assoc. Prof. Marcheva also produced several more “hot” news items on the topic. Very soon SH “Sadovo” will position on the market several new triticale varieties. She forecast that the emergence of a triticale /rye-wheat type/ with plant height of about 160–170 cm, with exceptional resistance to diseases, pests and lodging, will arouse great interest. This height clearly indicates the directions of use – for silage and for biofuel. Of course, in her opinion, the other new triticale variety /wheat-rye type/ will be capable of causing a stir in bread production. Its grain has an exceptionally high content of amino acids, enzymes and vitamins! Which means that the flour produced from this triticale variety will instantly attract market interest.

Assoc. Prof. Marcheva informed those present that in the breeding fields of SH “Sadovo”, with the help of methods of classical intervarietal hybridisation, new genotypes of soft and durum wheat, triticale and malting barley are being created. In competitive variety trials, over 800 new candidate varieties with high potential for productivity, quality, resistance and adaptability to various biotic and abiotic factors are being tested.

The head of the breeding project of SH “Sadovo” also announced the long-awaited news that the test trials of the newest soft winter wheat variety with identification code SK-76 are being completed (and very successfully at that). The numerous attendees were given the privilege to see it “live” in the breeding garden. Assoc. Prof. Marcheva’s assessment was rather reserved regarding the parameters of its phenotype. According to her, this will be the variety that will to a large extent approach the concept of the ideal variety – short, awned, with exceptionally long spikes, high health status, resistant to all biotic and abiotic factors. High-yielding, with excellent baking quality. It ripens one week earlier than the Sadovo variety and three weeks earlier than the representatives of European breeding!