2. ◘ The Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute – National Center of Seed & Cultivar Investigation is one of the leading centers of agricultural science in Ukraine. ◘ It has developed from a small plant breeding station which became a research institute in April 1912.

3. ◘ The research work at the Institute is carried out at 11 departments and 9 laboratories by the staff of 364 employees, including 112 researches which are represented by 15 Doctors of Science and 61 PhDs.

4. ◘ In the Institute there are the following departments: - Wheat Breeding and Seed Production - Barley Breeding and Seed Production - Maize Breeding and Seed Production - Oil Crops Breeding and Seed Production - Legume Crops Breeding and Seed Production - Seed Production - Genetics - Genetic Principles of Breeding - Tolerance to Abiotic Environmental Factors - Phytopathology and Entomology - Genomics

5. ◘ The studies are also carried out in the following laboratories: - Intensive Wheat Varieties Breeding - Durum Wheat Breeding - Biochemistry and Plant Physiology - Introduction and Genetic Resources - Seed Science and Standardization - Variety Testing and Breeding Process Modelling - Biotechnology

6. The research activity of the Institute is aimed at: - developing new methods of plant breeding and principles of biochemical genetics; - developing methods of increasing the genetic variation in order to develop a new initial breeding material; - studying genetics of the most important characters; - studying the nature of tolerance to abiotic factors and resistance to widespread diseases; - developing methods of increasing seed quality; - developing new highly productive varieties of the following crops: * winter bread and durum wheat * winter and spring barley * maize, sorghum, sunflower * soybean, pea, chickpea, alfalfa - basic seed production of crops under breeding

7. ◘ Since the foundation of the Institute over 390 new varieties and hybrids have been developed. ◘ In 2013 over 160 varieties and hybrids developed at the Institute were in the Ukrainian State Register of Plant Varieties. ◘ Over last 5 years there have been released: - 37 varieties of bread and durum wheat - 12 varieties of winter and spring barley - 24 hybrids of maize - 27 hybrids of sunflower - and some varieties of other crops ◘ All these varieties were widely grown in Ukraine and other Republics of former Soviet Union. At present in Ukraine they are annually grown on area around 5-6 millions hectares.

8. ◘ The wheat varieties developed at the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute are characterized by high productivity, grain and seed quality, complex resistance to diseases, frost hardiness, drought and heat tolerance. ◘ Winter bread wheat varieties of universal type, with extra-high grain quality, and varieties with complex resistance to the 7 major diseases – powdery mildew, leaf, stem and yellow rust, septoriosis, fusariosis, and bunt have been developed and released.

9. ◘ At the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute some new programs of wheat breeding for grain quality and product for a specific purpose are being carried out: - Extra-high bread-making quality - Biscuit wheat - Waxy wheat - Black wheat - Wheat varieties for bioethanol production - Forage wheat

10. ◘ The use of adaptivity characteristics together with breeding for resistance to diseases unable us to increase productivity of barley varieties up to 10 t/ha, and more. ◘ A new type of spring six-row highly intensive barley varieties and facultative varieties of winter habit have been developed. ◘ Over the last twenty years 33 spring and 16 winter barley varieties were includ ed in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine. ◘ At present the institute’s barley varieties occupy most of the barley sown area in Ukraine.

11. ◘ At present in the Ukrainian State Register of Plant Varieties 30 hybrids and varieties of maize developed at the Institute are enrolled. It is 12% of all registered Ukrainian maize hybrids. ◘ Over 2000-2012 the institute’s maize hybrids occupied 10-15% of the maize sown area in Ukraine.

12. ◘ The sunflower hybrids being high productive and having high oil content (50-57%) are at the same time resistant to false mildew, bud rot, and tolerant to broomrape (Orobanche cumana). ◘ Lines with high oleic acid content have been developed.

13. ◘ High yielding varieties of soybean, pea, chickpea and alfalfa adapted to the growing conditions of the south of Ukraine, resistant to widespread diseases, with increased nitrogen- fixing capacity, producing a high quality end product have been developed.

14. ◘ Genomics and biotechnology DNA technologies for identification of varieties, lines, hybrids of agricultural crops; development of molecular-genetic passports and information data of DNA identification; an analysis of molecular-genetic polymorphism of rice (Oryza sativa) by microsatellite loci and development of technology for selection of genotypes resistant to rice blast; a reduction in time for development of rice varieties using doubled haploids production; developing DNA-markers of maize quantitative trait loci.

15. ◘ The Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute has 4 experimental farms at its disposal with about 18.000 hectares of arable land which annually produce more than 10000 tons of certified seed for seed and grain producers

16. ◘ Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute closely cooperates with scientific institutions and seed companies of different countries: the USA, France, Germany, Mexico, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, Moldova, Thailand, China, Uzbekistan. ◘ On the basis of bilateral agreement with plant breeding institutions and seed companies of those countries we carry on joint breeding and research programs for many crops.

17. ◘ As a result of a long-term cooperation with French seed company Euralis Semences joint sunflower hybrids Ursus, Medallon, Jalon, Mulhacen and Attila have been developed, which due to their resistance to new races of broomrape are successfully grown in several European countries.

18. ◘ Over the last few years 9 our varieties of winter bread wheat, and by 2 varieties of winter durum wheat, soybean, alfalfa and sainfoin have been registered in the Russian Federation; in Moldova – 7 varieties of winter bread wheat, and by one variety of soybean, chickpea and alfalfa; in Uzbekistan – 2 varieties of winter bread wheat, in Hungary – one variety of winter bread wheat, in Kazakhstan – one chickpea variety has been registered.

19. ◘ Two of our winter bread wheat varieties, Krasunia odes’ka and Syrena odes’ka, were officially registered in Turkey some years ago, and became very popular among the farmers. ◘ We are ready to collaborate with new foreign partners on joint research projects.

20. 20 Ukraine has the necessary prerequisites for seed business with foreign countries  membership of Ukraine in the United Nations  membership of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization (WTO)  accession of Ukraine to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)  membership of Ukraine in the International Seed Federation (SIF)  membership of Ukraine in the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)  accession of Ukraine to the OECD Seed Schemes