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2019-1.1.1-PIACI-KFI-2019-00125 |
Sorghum breeding in Karcag at Alfaseed Kft.
ALFASEED Kft. is a family-run company engaged in plant breeding and seed
trading which, in the 2010s, recognised the opportunity to gain a major share of the domestic and
international sorghum markets. However, this activity can only
be developed, and the company can only be credible on the market, if it produces its own varieties and hybrids that
meet both customer expectations and environmental requirements.
Achieving this goal was supported by our project plan entitled “Development of new sorghum parent lines/hybrids
through the introduction of molecular technology at Alfaseed Kft.” (ID number: 2019-1.1.1-PIACI-KFI-2019-00125),
which was submitted to the NATIONAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION OFFICE in 2019 and awarded funding.
The total budget of the project was HUF 271,944,716,
of which HUF 189,031,200 was funded by the programme.
The project runs from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023. During this period, the complete genomic map of
the 930 sorghum lines we use was established and the genetic differences between the genotypes
were determined. The results contribute to the development of a
more efficient breeding programme in which we identify potential
crossing partners for hybrid development and accelerate the genetic fixation of
the key agronomic traits we have defined in the new hybrids.
With the help of the programme, we provide the propagating material for the production of
food and feed raw materials that inherently require less chemical input and are better adapted to our warming
and increasingly dry climate. These traits have a beneficial effect on both
human nutrition and animal feeding.