Hungarian Agricultural Research, 1996 (V/1-4)
1996-03-01 / 1. szám
Activities of the Ministry of Agriculture Related with Plant Growing in Hungary Plant growing has a share of about 50% in the yearly output value of Hungary's agriculture. Plant growing ranks high in the sectoral control functions of the Ministry. Based on the priorities formulated by the technical departments of the Ministry (with due consideration paid to objective conditions and market potentials), the major objectives of - the plant-growing sector are: to satisfy by Hungarian production the domestic demands in vegetable products that can be grown profitably and in adequate qualities; - to enhance our export potentials in plant cultures, in which we can meet international standards (to particularly mention cereals and oil crops, products thereof that are in demand, and sowing seeds); - on account of the inherent agronomical benefits, to expand the production of fodder-plants rich in protein, in order to cut the imports; - to efficiently increase the crop yields, to move especially toward higher qualities (substance, marketability, processability etc.); - to protect/conserve the natural environment, to develop and disseminate novel technological procedures and processes; - to enhance bio-economy/farming with due consideration paid to market demands; - to raise the standards of soil conservancy, with a special regard to a better utilization of organic substances; - utilizing the achievements of interdisciplinary experiments, to reduce the damages of droughts due to global warming (improvement breeding, agro-technology, irrigation, meliorative interventions); - to make use of benefits offered by regional management (optimum growing areas, applications of environment-friendly techniques, adapting to the demands of the European market, employment of rural population, region-specific quality parameters of products - taste, aroma, nutritional value - economical production etc.); - to preserve the diversity of plants grown, to utilize the export potentials of plants grown on small areas (broomcom, oil flax, canary grass, bird feeds, seeds of perennial papilionaceae etc.). The availability of adequate varieties, the production and uses of qualified seeds and reproduction materials are essential conditions affecting the success of plant growing in Hungary. The state qualifications of varieties are - effected by the Ministry of Agriculture. The new plant varieties are tested, registered in the Variety Register by the National Agricultural Qualifications Institute under the direct control of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Institute performs its duties through its Budapest centre, 17 variety experimental stations,, 12 regional centres responsible for the supervision of sowing seeds and reproduction materials and the Monor Variety Production Farm. Since Hungary is a member of UPOV (the international organization for variety protection), that activity complies with international prescriptions. - Again, the National Agricultural Qualifications Institute performs the official checking (testing and qualification of sowing seeds) reproduced for export. This duty is discharged in the OECD system and in compliance with the prescriptions of ISTA (the international seed-testing organization or agency). - The system of variety recognition, seed reproduction and distribution is regulated by Government Decrees (and Ministerial Orders associated with the former) in compliance with international specifications. - The system of official (state) qualifications offers a broad assortment of varieties to the growers. Hungary's ecological conditions are favourable to the production of seeds. Parallel to ever-higher quality requirements, there is an increasing demand for qualified sowing seeds. Based on decades of international cooperation, the exports of hybrid maize, sunflowerseed and other sowing seeds rank high in Hungary's seed exports. - In the modernization of biological foundations, particularly important is a better utilization of the genetic productivities of the varieties. Accordingly, the Ministry lays a special emphasis on - setting up and supporting the priorities in variety production and the elaboration of related technological procedures and processes; - experiments with adapting the qualified varieties in the local regions, disseminating the achievements as broadly as possible, enhancing the skills of private farmers; - popularizing in Hungary and abroad the varieties produced in Hungary or in cooperation with foreign institutions, modernizing and operating the set of devices for variety maintenance (preservation). The Ministry of Agriculture assists in the realization of the above objectives by sponsoring agricultural research stations/jobs, inviting bids for tenders, elaborating (and partly financing) development projects. Preservation of vegatable genetic resources in close cooperation with other nations is a national interest of Hungary. The Ministry of Agriculture assigns a very high priority to crop genetic resources. Therefore exploration and conservation are treated as important, centrally funded activities. The Ministry provides financial support and facilitates technical coordination. Genetic resources activities are supported from an Agricultural and Forestry Fund under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. The main conditions of obtaining finan- cial support are: the applicant should possess a unique germplasm not duplicated in existing germplasm collections, - the material should be made freely available, - a basic set of passport and/or collecting information should be supplied to the national database designated by the Ministry, - after multiplication of the accession the applicant should arrange for long-term preservation of the material in a Ministrydesignated long-term seed store or in a genebank plantation, - supported genetic resources activities should be conducted in accordance with international standards (FAO/IPGRI standards for genebanks, IBPGR descriptor lists). A Gene Bank Council has recently been established to set up priorities and decide on technical matters, standardize methodology and provide scientific consultations. The Council is supported by technical committees responsible for specific crop groups (field crops, vegetables, medicinal plants, fruits, grapes, forest trees and microorganisms). All crop genetic resources activities are coordinated by the Institute for Agrobotany. The main activities of the Institute - include: exploration and collection of germplasms of field and vegetable crops with special emphasis on Hungarian local material, - multiplication and regeneration of germplasms to obtain a sufficient amount of high quality seed for medium and longterm conservation, evaluation and distribution, - isoclimatic regeneration of Hungarian landraces close to their original places, - characterization and evaluation of germplasm collections according to internationally accepted descriptor lists, - documentation of passport and evaluation data of the PGR maintained by the Institute and other Institutes in Hungary, - medium and long-term conservation of germplasms in cold stores and using meristem cultures in the case of vegetatively propagated crops, - long-term conservation of Hungarian base collection of seed-propagated crops, - distribution of germplasms together with relevant information to users in Hungary and abroad all over the world, - participation in the ECP/GR programme and coordination of the activities in Hungary. The Institute for Agrobotany has developed long-term storage facilities for a central base collection for seed propagated plants. The computer hardware facilities have been updated to suit the development of a national garmsplasm database. The above-mentioned duties of the Ministry exert a complex effect on the plant-growing sector, and will contribute to its continuous progress. Lajos Buzássy Deputy Secretary of State Ministry of Agriculture, Hungary