Our Czech national Crop Research Institute is extremely interested in theme 1 Farm Level: "Promote crop diversification: diversify species and varieties at the field and farm level (including site‐adapted varieties, crop rotations and intra-field diversification)."
The theme is closely and fundamentally linked to a number of our projects that have been undertaken and are ongoing (H2020 and other European and National level).

We are also open to other subthemes under Farm level topic of first call AGROECOLOGY.

The Crop Research Institute (CRI) with its 300 employees is the largest research institute devoted to crop production research under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. We are located in Prague-Ruzyně, having smaller research centres in Olomouc, Liberec, Jevíčko, Slaný, Chomutov and Karlštejn, along with further field stations around the country.

Research
The Institute conducts basic and applied research, ranging from traditional studies of genetics, plant breeding, plant nutrition, agroecology, plant health, and the safe storage of crops and agricultural produce, to the fast-developing fields of molecular biology, biotechnology, food and feed safety, and the use of biowastes and biomass for energy production. Moving to the forefront of CRI research are the issues of sustainable agriculture production and organic farming with the aim to maintain high soil fertility, support natural processes and biodiversity, reduce water pollution and overall minimise the negative impacts of agricultural production on the environment and human health.

Advisory work and policy support
Emphasis has been placed on the transfer of research results to practical farming through advice and consultancy, the organisation of ‘theme’ days and seminars for farmers and agriculture advisers, and publication of technical guides. Our research results are also fed into legislation and used in national policy development.

The Institute runs long-term experiments to study long-term changes in soil fertility and soil properties, examining the effects of inorganic and organic fertilisers and crop rotation on the nutrition and yield of a number of crops, changes in weed communities and soil fertility. The long-term experiments are located all around the country in productive as well as marginal conditions.

Close cooperation with universities is maintained through lectures and supervision of students’ bachelor, master and doctoral theses.

Long-term concept of the research organization development (hereinafter referred to as the “LTCROD”) of the Crop Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as the CRI) has been prepared in accordance with the Concept of Research, Development and Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture for the years 2023-2032, (hereinafter referred to as the „R&D&I Concept“), the Strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic with a view to 2030, the Strategy of Gender Equality for the years 2021-2030 and the Methodology for the Evaluation of Research Organisations of the Ministry of Agriculture. The LTCROD presents the general framework of the research organisation’s activities for the years 2023 – 2027.

You may find more about our research projects here:

https://www.vurv.cz/en/research/