Department´s full name: Department for Breeding and Genetics of Maize Head of the Department Ivan Brkić, Ph.D., Scientific (Research) Advisor
Domagoj Šimić, Ph.D., Tatjana Ledenčan,Ph.D., Antun Jambrović, Ph.D., Zvonimir Zdunić, Ph.D. Josip Brkić, B.Sc., Research Assistent Andrija Brkić, B.Sc., Research Assistent Marija Pribanić, B.Sc.,Technologist Josip Galović, ing., Slavica Živalj, ing., Technologist
Phone: +385 31 51 55 20
Fax. +385 31 51 55 29
van.brkic@poljinos.hr
Scientific staff:
Scientific (Research) Advisor
domagoj.simic@poljinos.hr
Scientific (Research) Advisor tatjana.ledencan@poljinos.hr
Scientific (Research) Advisor antun.jambrovic@poljinos.hr
Scientific (Research) Advisor zvonimir.zdunic@poljinos.hr
josip.brkic@poljinos.hr
andrija.brkic@poljinos.hr
marija.pribanic@poljinos.hr
Technologist
slavica.zivalj@poljinos.hr
Video about maiz called CORNOGRAPHY
The very first selection and breeding activities on developing better maize varieties at large agricultural enterprises of Croatia trace back to the beginning of the 20th century. Belje selection field (Brestovac) was the first location where maize selection and breeding took the place, just after the World War I was over. A several well-known breeders were working there, namely Ferlinc, Petriček and Habeković. Selection and breeding of maize were introduced to Agricultural Institute Osijek (formerly Osijek Field Experimental and Control Station) by D. Sc. Mirko Korić. He was the pioneer breeder of both maize and wheat, which were the most important field crops before the World War II as well as today. All of these extraordinary people were developed maize dent varieties that were widely accepted by farmers (Vukovar dent, Belje dent, Šid dent, Ruma dent, Flajšman dent etc.) all until the 1950s when imported American and domestic hybrids were used.
In the early 1950s the breeding concept of creating maize hybrids changed toward making crosses among different varieties. The most important agronomic traits were more widely investigated in the field experiments that were set up at many locations all across Croatia. This concept was abandoned quite soon because of appearance of the hybrids developed by inbred-hybrid concept and imported from the United States of America. However, the crosses that were made between different domestic varieties showed that there were significant genetic distances among them. This knowledge had a great influence latter in the breeding procedures used in this area. The fusion of the Agricultural Institute Osijek and Belje selection field Brestovac in the year of 1950 contributed to the success of the breeding procedures used for creating maize hybrids, i.e. enabled the breeders to create the first domestic maize hybrids.
The American maize hybrids did not spread on a large scale as it was expected in the early 1950s not only because of lack of knowledge related to the agro technical procedures required for the successful maize growing but also because of their poor adaptability. The introduced germplasm was developed in quite different agro ecological areas. At the same time, the Croatian scientists were working on developing domestic maize hybrids also using inbred-hybrid concept and trying to eliminate some unfavorable traits of the American hybrids. As the result of cooperative and coordinate efforts among breeders at the Agricultural Institute Osijek, the first two maize hybrids were registered in 1964. Their parents were inbred lines developed from Vukovar dent variety. The highest demands for those hybrids came from the large public agricultural enterprises. Thus in 1966 70% of the total land area under maize was planted with imported double-cross hybrids and 30% with single-cross hybrids created at domestic breeding institutions. In the 1970s all the area in Slavonia and Baranja region was planted with maize hybrid seed made at domestic institutions, 50% of which was single-cross hybrid seed.
In the 1980s wide maize production of double-cross and three-way cross hybrids were replaced by more productive single-cross hybrids. Germplasm included in these hybrids is still considering as valuable basic source for maize breeding at Agricultural Institute Osijek. Yields of the domestic hybrids obtained by using mentioned germplasm were among the worlds highest at that time. For instance, the average grain yield per hectare obtained at Belje enterprise including 4.700 hectares was 10.59 tones. The highest yield was over 14.00 tones. More or less similar results were also obtained at the other big enterprises (e.g. PIK Vukovar, IPK Osijek, PIK Vinkovci, PIK Ðakovo etc.). Those results were primarily obtained because of very favorable agro ecological conditions, applying up to date agronomic knowledge and successful breeding strategies at Agricultural Institute Osijek. Inbred lines derived in the 1980s were incorporated into specific hybrid combinations, which are still widely used in maize production.
Developing maize hybrids is time consuming process that takes at least twelve years on average and includes teams of breeders who are continuously applying current scientific and agronomic accomplishments, particularly those of genetics and plant breeding.
Prof. D.Sc. Ljubo Radić was leading maize breeder in the late 1950s. He was head of Department of maize breeding and genetics. After his retirement in 1983, D.Sc. Nedjeljko Vekić took over the Departments leadership until the early 1990s. Since 1992 D.Sc. Ivan Brkić has been head of maize breeders at Agricultural Institute Osijek.
The Institute’s maize breeders continuously work on increasing the yield potential of their hybrids. In the last five years the average grain yield increased up to two tones compared to checks and widely accepted standards. Apart from genetic potential for the yield, adaptability for important traits to the growing conditions of Slavonia and Baranja region (FAO 100-700 group) has been studied carefully. Important role in developing best possible maize hybrids belong to the methods of population and quantitative genetics as well as biometrics and molecular markers techniques.
Agricultural Institute Osijek registered sixty-five maize hybrids in the last ten years, thirty-seven of which in Croatia, seven in Turkey, two in Hungary, two in Albania, two in Kazakhstan, one in Macedonia and fourteen joint hybrids in Slovakia. Besides registered hybrids, dozens of scientific papers were published related to above-mentioned problems. It has also been published four MS and six PhD theses. The breeders of the Department are currently running two scientific projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia. The partnership to foreign similar joint projects has been established with our colleagues in Slovakia, China, Turkey, Canada, Kazakhstan and Albania.
Most of the registered hybrids have been well accepted in wide maize production but the highest share (more than 50%) belongs to Slavonia and Baranja region. The widest spread hybrids are as follows: Alpos, OSSK247, Tvrtko303, OSSK373, OSSK444, OSSK494, OSSK499, OSSK552, OSSK596, OSSK617, OSSK602, OSSK644, OSSK659, and OSSK713. There are also developed sweet-corn and pop-corn breeding programs which resulted in two registered hybrids, OS250su and OS605p.c.
Most of the seed selling incomes are investing into the new scientific projects and education of young scientists. Many of them have received numerous scientific and professional awards for their achievements.
Major references:Šimić, D., R. Sudar, T. Ledenčan, A. Jambrović, Z. Zdunić, I. Brkić, V. Kovačević (2009): Genetic variation of bioavailable iron and zinc in grain of a maize population. Journal of Cereal Science (accepted manuscript-online, in press)
Radić, Lj., N. Vekić, Z. Zelinski, I. Brkić, S. Vujević (1984.): Analiza svojstava značajnih za proizvodnju i kreiranje hibrida. Poljoprivredne aktualnosti, Vol. 20, Br. 1-2, 177-188.
Vujević, S., I. Brkić (1990.): Stabilnost samooplodnih linija i hibrida kukuruza u trogodišnjim ispitivanjima u različitim FAO grupama zriobe u pokusima u Osijeku. Poljoprivredne aktualnosti, Vol. 35, Br. 1-2.
Brkić, I., S. Vujević, D. Šimić (1993.): Međuzavisnost prinosa i sadržaja vlage u zrnu i potrebe za toplotnim jedinicama kod hibrida kukuruza FAO grupe 100-300 u uvjetima istočne Hrvatske. Poljoprivredne aktualnosti, Vol. 29(93), 3-4, 291-298.
Ledenčan, T., D. Jurković, D. Šimić, B. Palaveršić (2001): Comparison between two methods of maize leaf infection with Exserohilum turcicum. Cereal Research Communications, Vol. 29. Nos. 3-4. 429-433.
Šimić, D., A.R. Hallauer (2001): Information from Castle-Wright experiment. Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter (MNL), Vol. 75: 3-4 Maize Database na http://www.agron.missouri.edu/mnl/75/13simic.html
Brkić, I., D. Šimić, A. Jambrović, Z. Zdunić, T. Ledenčan (2002.): Poboljšavanje dvolinijskih hibrida kukuruza trolinijskim hibridima srodnih linija. Sjemenarstvo, Vol. 19, Br. 1-2; 17-24.
Brkić, I., D. Šimić, Z. Zdunić, A. Jambrović, T. Ledenčan, V. Kovačević, I. Kadar (2003): Combining abilities of corn-belt inbred lines of maize for mineral content in grain. Maydica, Vol. 48.
Ledenčan, T., D. Šimić, I. Brkić, A. Jambrović, Z. Zdunić (2003): Reistance of maize inbreds and their hybrids to Fusarium Stalk Rot. Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Vol. 39, No. 1. 15-20.
Šimić, D., T. Presterl, G. Seitz, H. H. Geiger (2003): Comparing methods for integrating exotic germplasm into European forage maize breeding programs. Crop Science 43(6).
*** (1969.-1989.): Informacije o radu na kukuruzu. Poljoprivredni institut Osijek
New catalogue OS Maize Hybrids 09
design by
MIT design studio. content © by poljoprivredni institut osijek