Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing                    

Research activities determine the total success formula of the Institute. The knowledge obtained and developed in the research projects provides for successful performance of other activities.

The scientific work of the Institute is characterized by the amount of research projects, their scale and funding, by the qualification of the researchers, number of publications and patents, participation in international scientists’ organizations and different international projects.

During 2001-2006 The Institute (former Dobele HPBES) has performed or continues scientific research projects funded by the national government - two grants of the Latvian Council of Science (LZP), seven market-oriented research projects financed by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM), has administrated a State Program Project „Development and implementation of a system for competitive and profitable horticulture". Every year the Institute carries out 2 to 6 Ministry of Agriculture subsidy projects and 2 or 3 demonstration projects for the Latvia Rural Consultation and Education Centre (LLKC). Since 2006 the Institute participates in the State Research Program „Innovative technologies for the development of high-value, safe and healthy food products from genetically, physiologically and biochemically various plant and animal material”, as the head of the project „High-value Latvian berries: from cultivar to high-quality, healthy and safe product”. The Institute also is the head of State Program project „Plant virus model for the construction of sub-unit vaccines and identifying of viruses”  . During the last 4 years our Institute (Dobele HPBES) has also taken part or participates in 9 international projects.

The intellectual level at the Institute is high (21% of the research staff are Doctors of Science, 5% Masters of Science working at their Doctor’s thesis, 7% are doing their Master’s studies). The majority of scientists have trained abroad and obtained international experience and authority in their field of research. Our researchers regularly participate in international scientific events and publish in acknowledged scientific journals. The amount of publications has significantly increased – from 22 (1995) to 87 (2006). Of these about 2-3 annually are SCI publications, while 8 to 12 every year are included in the Latvian Council of Science register of acknowledged reviewed scientific editions.

The Institute (Dobele HPBES) has registered two patents - “Method of obtaining Japanese quince candies” (Nr. 12779, registered 20.04.2002), “Method of obtaining large-fruited cranberry candies” (Nr.13468, registered 20.11.2006). The Institute also has registered Breeder’s rights for 32 cultivars of fruit crops and 6 lilac varieties 32 augļaugu un 6 ceriņu šķirnes. Six grape varieties have been registered (as trade mark) in Sweden.

The Institute works in good cooperation with other research institutions in Latvia. The majority of research projects are performed together with other research institutes.

Annually the institute forms a base for Bachelor, Master and Doctor studies for the students of the Latvia Unversity of Agriculture and the University of Latvia, for training of students from the Latvia University of Agriculture and Bulduri Horticulture College .

During the last 5 years, the funding of different projects (state, EU and private) has increased four times.

The main areas and tasks of research:

1. To coordinate and perform scientific research in the field of fruit and berry crop genetic diversity, morphology, physiology, economically justified technologies of cultivation and fruit processing:

Studies of the genetic, physiological and biochemical diversity of fruit and berry species, cultivars and hybrids adapted to the climate of Latvia, identifying traits valuable for the obtaining of safe and healthy food products, their hereditary mechanisms and genes promising for use in breeding;

Working out of effective methods for the selection of new cultivars, their propagation and cultivation;

Breeding of fruit and berry cultivars which are resistant to diseases, adapted to the and climate of Latvia and local conditions and highly productive, by using the Latvian genetic resources and breeding material of foreign origin;

Development of economically justified, environment-friendly (integrated and organic) technologies for growing of more popular fruit crops and cultivars in different soil and climate conditions;

Studies on the occurrence of organisms hazardous to fruit crops in Latvia, their peculiarities of development, biology, ecology and host-pathogen interaction, with the aim to establish scientific background for the development of economically justified, environment-friendly (integrated and organic) technologies for growing of fruit crops;

Working out of recommendations about storage regimes for different fruit crops and cultivars in traditional and low-oxygen storage;

Development of new waste-free technologies preserving functionally active components for the obtaining of innovative food products from traditional and untraditional fruit crops;

Development of models for fruit crop species and variety structure in specialized fruit-growing farms in different regions of Latvia;

Working out of the scientific background for the establishment of a system for the production of healthy fruit crop planting material in Latvia, development and maintenance of base and pre-base material collections.

2. To organize scientific conferences, seminars, lectures, exibitions and other activities, to publish informative materials;

3. To participate in international scientific research projects and programs, including EU Framework 7 ES 7.Ietvara, EU Technological platforms „Plants for Future” and „Food for Life”.

4. To maintain the sum of know-how with the aim of provide scientific expertise for the argumentation of the Latvian position and Latvian participation in the EU institutions in the field of fruit-growing, as well as international organizations: FAO, EUFRIN, EUCARPIA, IPGRI, ECPGR, UPOV and EU CPVO.