The goal of this project is to grow 3 ha of new mother beds containing certified mother plants for the production of certified virus free fruit buds of the varieties of pome and stone fruit species: apples, pears, quinces, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, sour cherries, cherries, and almonds at the Agricultural Institute Osijek in Osijek.

Certified virus-free planting material is represented as a small part of the production of planting material in the Republic of Croatia and for that reason it was necessary to grow mother beds of higher categories. By growing new mother beds of the certified category, the sufficient number of virus free certified buds required by the plant nursery production in the Republic of Croatia will be ensured. The application of the latest agriculture engineering measures will ensure the sufficient amount and quality of the reproductive material, which is the basic condition for a stronger position of the plant nursery production in the Republic of Croatia and for ensuring the availability of high quality planting material for growing permanent crops in the Republic of Croatia, where investments in the pomology sector have been recognised as a strategic interest of the agricultural policy in the Republic of Croatia, through the measures for rural development. The following activities will be implemented as part of the project: selection of the plant material, establishing pre-basic mother plants, establishing and maintaining basic mother plants.

The realisation of the Plan for Improving the Quality of Mother Beds of Pome and Stone Fruit Species in the Republic of Croatia will ensure high genetic purity and health safety of the reproductive fruit planting materials of pome and stone fruit species, which is the condition for safe, sustainable, and competitive fruit growing production.

Expert team for the implementation of the project:

– Dr.sc. Zvonimir Zdunić, project leader

– Dominik Vuković, mag.ing.agr., associate

– Dr.sc. Vesna Tomaš, associate

– Dr.sc. Ines Mihaljević, associate