Lidia Sas-Paszt

The National Institute of Horticultural Research was established on January 1, 2011, under the directive of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the merger of two research institutes with a long tradition in research, development and implementation achievements – the “Szczepan Pieniążek” Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, and the “Emil Chroboczek” Research Institute of Vegetable Crops. The seat of the Institute is the town of Skierniewice – the capital of horticultural research. The basic and applied research conducted at the Institute covers issues related to the production of fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants and edible mushrooms, ranging from physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, through biotechnology, modern and classical plant breeding, protection of genetic resources, plant protection against pests, to agrotechnics, processing and storage of fruit and vegetables, agroengineering, and economics. The Institute also conducts research in the field of beekeeping, including bee breeding, apiary technologies, the quality of bee products, and pollination of plants. The organizational structure of the Research Institute of Horticulture consists of eleven scientific Departments directly involved in the implementation of research and development work for the horticultural sector. The scientific studies conducted at the Institute are in line with the trends in the social and economic development of the country, as well as the principles of the Common Agricultural Policy implemented by countries of the European Union. They are focused on developing new technologies and acquiring the necessary knowledge for further development of the horticultural sector in Poland. Particular attention is paid to issues related to organically grown crops. The strategic goal of the implemented state policy is the production of high-quality food products that are safe for consumers and the natural environment. As part of this strategy, the Research Institute of Horticulture conducts research on the safe use of plant protection products in horticultural production. Monitoring the quality of water and soil in areas of intensive horticulture is also a priority activity. The research undertaken at the Institute is aimed at optimizing the fertilization of vegetable crops grown under cover and at limiting environmental contamination. In order to protect water resources, the Institute has developed, for example, a system for estimating water needs and rational use of water in horticultural crops. An important area of the Institute’s activity is plant breeding, which results in the introduction of new varieties with improved characteristics into production. The national register already includes over 300 varieties of fruit and vegetable plants bred at the Research Institute of Horticulture. The Institute participates in the National Programme for the Protection of Genetic Resources of Cultivated Plants, the aim of which is to protect the genetic variability of fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and honey-yielding plants. Rich genetic resources of horticultural plants have already been gathered here. The Institute also works on methods of retaining high-quality and nutritional value of fruits, vegetables, and their preserves. Innovative technologies for storage and processing are being developed to reduce losses in the post-harvest chain and contribute to reducing food waste. Another priority task of the Research Institute of Horticulture, carried out at the Apiculture Department in Puławy, is to prevent the decline in honeybee populations in Poland by optimizing the genetic base of bees and other pollinating insects, and increasing their resistance to diseases and harmful environmental factors. As part of the current national monitoring, which takes into account European Union requirements, tests for residues of plant protection products in agricultural crops are also performed. These tests are carried out at the Food Safety Research Department, which is one of the three accredited Laboratories of the Research Institute of Horticulture. An important form of the Institute’s activity is the dissemination of the results of research work by organizing conferences, symposia, training sessions, workshops, exhibitions, direct consultancy, by creating and maintaining databases for the needs of science and horticultural practice, and developing implementation offers. The Research Institute of Horticulture is a publisher of 3 scientific journals: The Journal of Apicultural Science, The Journal of Horticultural Research, and Zeszyty Naukowe (Scientific Notebooks) of the Research Institute of Horticulture. In addition, the Institute publishes annually numerous materials containing the results of current research.