The programme »Genetics and modern technologies of agricultural plants« includes basic and applied research in the field of food and agriculture. The aim is to ensure that agricultural plants provide optimal yield quantity and quality. Such modern varieties can only be bred by thorough understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying different plant properties and the use of advanced breeding methods.

Advanced biotechnological methods in plant breeding focus on the induction of haploids through gynogenesis and androgenesis and the use of gene transfer. Our onion haploid induction research has been very successful, with the majority of world seed companies involved in onion breeding applying our methods. Together with Agricultural Institute of Slovenia we are completing the breeding of the first Slovene hybrid cabbage, the lines of which were obtained by haploid induction of microspores. Given the substantial increase in pumpkin oil production in Slovenia, we have begun to study biotechnological breeding methods aimed at producing high quality hybrid pumpkin varieties.

The genetic research, which also supports hop breeding programme, includes mapping of QTL for quality parameters, yield and resistance, isolation of candidate resistance genes as well as comparative transcriptomics and genomics in studies of pathogen virulence and host-pathogen interactions. A proteomic approach is also used in studies of pathogenicity of plant fungal pathogens and in host-pathogen interactions.

The group has achieved significant results in the field of molecular diversity and genomic structure in plants and fungi. These results support the conservation of genetic resources, in varietal identification and in pathogen diagnostics. We are currently coordinating a European project in this field.

We involve undergraduate and postgraduate students in research and the research also provides the basis for high quality teaching. The group is committed to the international exchange of knowledge and collaborate closely with Slovene research institutes and companies, enabling the application of our methodologies in research, plant breeding and drug production.