• Soybean germplasm evaluation: Nutritive grain quality under climate change conditions
• Genotypic selection of peas under climate change
• Innovative strategies for early stress detection and increasing maize tolerance to cold stress
• Legumes as a source of biologically active phytochemicals
• Breeding development of alfalfa and red clover germplasm adapted to climate changes
• Predictive modelling of agronomic traits in maize using modern technologies
• Assessment of quantitative traits in small grain cereals germplasm considering climate change
• The role of genetic specificity, plant growth regulators, and biostimulants in increasing the resistance to abiotic and biotic stress, yield, and quality of sour cherry fruit
• The influence of climate changes on the expression of the most important agronomic, physiological and biochemical traits of sunflower under conditions of different plant density
• Influence of combined abiotic stresses and climatic oscillations on production and quality of seed
• Water, soil and cultivar – fundamental elements of sustainable agriculture in climate change

Full project title

Influence of combined abiotic stresses and climatic oscillations on production and quality of seed

Project acronym

KASKO PRO SJEME

Lead researcher

Sonja Grljušić, PhD, Senior Scientific Adviser

Project team members

1. Luka Andrić, PhD, Senior Scientific Adviser, Agricultural Institute Osijek
2. Zvonimir Zdunić, PhD, EMBA, Senior Scientific Advisor, Full Professor, Agricultural Institute Osijek
3. Hrvoje Plavšić, PhD, Scientific Associate, Agricultural Institute Osijek
4. Branimir Šimić, PhD, Senior Scientific Adviser, Agricultural Institute Osijek
5. Nikolina Šimić, dipl. ing. agr., Professional Associate, Agricultural Institute Osijek
6. Dejan Agić, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek

Project financing source

National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 within the framework of the Program Agreement with the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth

Project budget

42.000,00 EUR

Project summary

Occurrence of extremes due to climatic oscillations during seed production of arable crops, and negative impact of climatic changes on yield and quality of produced seed highlight the need to find adequate solutions and to develop improved high-quality seed production systems under new conditions. Therefore, the overall objective of the project is to gain new knowledge about the influence of combined abiotic stresses and climatic oscillations on production and quality of seed, and to test/implement new techniques and methods of pre-sowing treatments and seed production in order to adapt to/mitigate the negative consequences of climatic changes. Specific objectives of the project include (1) analysis of domestic cultivars seed reaction to different abiotic stresses combinations, variants of pre-sowing treatments and their interactions, (2) identification of cultivars and pre-sowing treatments for anticipated production conditions, (3) definition of  most advantageous solutions (combinations of genotypes, pre-sowing treatments and environments) to achieve maximum return, (4) publishing of research results in scientific and professional journals and congress proceedings, (5) dissemination of results to a wider public, and (6) introduction and involvement of student population in implementation phases of the project.

Upon project completion, implementation of optimal solutions for development of improved seed production systems to increase yields, incomes and production stability, as well as raised public awareness about importance and benefits of new, environmentally acceptable technologies implementation in production systems are expected.

Project aims

A) Overall project objective: Gaining new knowledge about the influence of combined abiotic stresses and climatic oscillations on the production and quality of seed, and testing/implementation of new techniques and methods of pre-sowing treatments and seed production in order to adapt to/mitigate the negative consequences of climatic changes on growth, development, yield and quality of seed crop production.
B) Specific project objectives:

1. To analyse domestic cultivars seed reaction to different abiotic stresses combinations (A), variants of pre-sowing treatments (B) and interactions AxB in the stages of germination and early seedling growth;
2. To identify cultivars and pre-sowing variants for anticipated production conditions;
3. To define most advantageous solutions (combinations of genotypes, pre-sowing treatments and environments) for achieving maximum return;
4. To publish research results in scientific and professional journals and congress proceedings;
5. To disseminate results to a wider public with particular regard to end-users of seed by workshops/meetings;
6. To introduce and involve student population into project implementation for gathering reliable empiric data for their final thesis/dissertation.