According to the press service of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Region, the Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS has won a competition of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture. The organization will receive 50 million roubles from the regional budget for the development program of its structural subdivisions - the Kuraguinskoye, Mikhailovskoye and Minusinskoye experimental and production farms.

Alexey Lipshin, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Director of the Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture, FRC KSC SB RAS, explains: The experimental and production farms “Kuraguinskoye”, “Mikhailovskoye” and ‘Minusinskoye” in the Krasnoyarsk Region and "Chernogorskoye" in the Republic of Khakassia are leading platforms for the implementation of scientific achievements in three areas of the agro-industrial complex: in crop production - the introduction of new varieties of grain, fodder, fruit, berry crops in compliance with the developed agro-technological production regulations; in animal husbandry - livestock breeding, dairy and meat production; in processing - the production of processed fruit and vegetable, dairy, oilseed and other products with the prospect of large-scale production by agricultural producers of the Krasnoyarsk Region and in general on the territory of the Angara-Yenisei macroregion. The Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture deals with selection and breeding and in recent years a number of varieties have been created such as: soft spring wheat KURAGUINSKAYA 2, KRASNOYARSKAYA 12, UYAROCHKA, KANSKAYA; spring barley TAKMAK, EMELYA, UVATSKY, KRASNOYARSKY 91; winter rye KRASNOYARSKAYA UNIVERSAL; sowing peas BUSLAY; apple trees SCARLET ZARYA; honeysuckle PODAROK SAYAN, MINUSINSKAYA YUBILEINAYA, SIBERINKA; red currants KRASNAYA GROZD’; black currant SVETLANKA, TAYNA, SAYANSKIY SOUVENIR, PAMYATI KUMINOVOY; sea buckthorn VALENTINKA, OGNI YENISEYA; felt cherry ZORENKA MINUSINSKAYA. At the same time, it is important not only to develop new varieties, but also to develop technologies for their cultivation, taking into account zoning."

The experimental farms "Kuraginskoye" and "Mikhailovskoye" intend to increase the area and volume of production of elite seeds of agricultural crops, preserve the livestock of agricultural animals and increase the milk productivity of cows. The “Minusinskoye” farm plans to preserve the area of perennial plantings, as well as to increase the production and sales of perennial plant seedlings and fruit and vegetables.

"It is important for us that scientists work with modern zoned varieties and hybrids of cereals, potatoes, fruit and berry plants. The selected and tested species help regional farmers to improve the quality and productivity of agricultural crops. Scientific institutions need support for scientific research in crop production, animal husbandry, and horticulture" , - says the deputy chairman of the regional government, the regional minister of agriculture Leonid Shorokhov, as quoted by the press service.

It is noted that grants for agricultural scientific organizations are a new measure of state support implemented this year by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Region.

“Until 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation allocated funds to support the development of agricultural enterprises. Since last year, such support has been provided not only to commodity producers, but also to scientific organizations engaged in the creation and breeding of new varieties. In the Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS, work is being carried out in such areas of agriculture as seed production, horticulture and animal husbandry. Our peculiarity is the implementation of a full cycle of research - from obtaining a new variety to developing strategies for its cultivation. It includes the development of agro-biotechnology, for example, scientists select the best fertilizers through experiments, determine the optimal sowing time. Almost all academic institutes which are part of the KSC SB RAS participate in these studies. At the same time, the results of our work are used not only in the Region, but in the entire Siberian macroregion. Due to the full research cycle, the cost of such work in our country is much higher than that of conventional manufacturers. The received funding is an indicator that we are considered to be at the same level as agricultural producers and thus, we are given the opportunity to participate in such activities. This means that this practice will develop and expand. The Krasnoyarsk Science Center was one of the first among scientific organizations to start research in these conditions; so we are grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture, which has provided us invaluable assistance, ” says Vasily Shabanov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific director of the Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS.

The program is intended for three years. Its total funding to be provided by the regional budget and scientific center will amount to 215 million roubles.