Maize is the cereal crop with the highest productive potential and production worldwide. It is a major grain-forage crop of global importance under modern agricultural and livestock conditions. According to the American statistical yearbook Corn Annual, industrial products derived from maize are part of over 1300 product categories in the USA alone. In other parts of the world, such as Africa and Latin America, maize holds the greatest significance as a staple food source for the population. All these factors make the breeding objectives in the current project highly relevant.

The research activities in maize breeding and seed production at the Institute represent a continuous process encompassing all major directions aimed at developing highly productive maize lines and hybrids. These are drought-tolerant, widely adaptable, and efficiently seed-produced. The work is constantly evolving and being enhanced depending on scientific progress, climate change, and seed market demands.

The goal of the project is the breeding of new maize hybrids with high yield potential, improved grain quality, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Combining high and stable yields over years with drought tolerance, lodging resistance, early maturity, disease resistance, and improved grain quality requires the use of genetic diversity. Collecting, investigating, and studying new genetic diversity is essential for developing a breeding strategy and defining the ideal cultivar traits for maize.

The project contributes both theoretical knowledge and practical agricultural benefits by providing new hybrids suitable for modern agriculture and climate change conditions.

Scientific Supervisor
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valentina Ivanova Valkova