ARI Biennial Review for 2018-2019

PLANT IMPROVEMENT The main activities of the Plant Improvement Section concern the improvement through breeding of barley, forage plants, seed and food legumes, durum and bread wheat, triticale, as well as studies of genetic and environmental factors affecting their productivity, quality and resistance to diseases. Work also aims at improving cultural practices of forage plants, grain cereals, legumes and aromatic plants. Barley is the cereal most adapted to the often harsh agroclimatic conditions of Cyprus. Spring barley is grown in Cyprus during winter as the main rain-fed crop for livestock feed as hay or grain. The barley breeding programme aims at the development of new, well-adapted and drought-tolerant cultivars with improved quality characteristics, and of naked barley cultivars for human consumption and as feed for monogastric animals. Wild species ( Hordeum vulgare spp. agriocrithon Aberg ) and landraces are used in crosses to improve biotic and abiotic stress resistance. The durum wheat improvement programme aims to enhance the productivity and economic value of grain and straw through hybridisation and selection for agronomic performance and quality. Environmental and genetic factors affecting grain yield, water use efficiency and quality of durum wheat are examined and new genetic lines of increased drought tolerance under field conditions have been identified. Cultural practices are also examined for improved production. The cereal technology programme, which is complementary to the improvement programme, aims at identifying varieties of superior quality. Factors that could enhance the quality of industrially made local bread are also evaluated in collaboration with local mills and bakers. Forage production has increased both quantitatively and qualitatively through the introduction of new species/varieties, selection of local material and improved management practices. Crops under investigation include barley, oats, bread wheat, vetch, alfalfa, triticale and peas. Triticale is a fast-developing crop introduced mainly by cattle growers in the last few years. Two new varieties, originated from the Triticale improvement programme, were sent for testing and are now under registration procedures to the National Catalogue. The genetic improvement of Cyprus cowpea landraces with respect to climate change is a long-term programme aiming at the enhancement of adaptation of this important crop using innovative field phenotyping methods. The project has further successfully isolated symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria from local populations. In addition, work on the on-farm ( in situ ) conservation of Cyprus eggplant landraces through a novel approach has progressed very satisfactorily. Research on aromatic and medicinal plants focuses on cultural techniques required for the main aromatic and medicinal plants grown in Cyprus. New species of medicinal and aromatic plants, such as stevia ( Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), with multiple prospective benefits to consumer health, are studied as alternative crops for Cypriot farmers. 13 PLANT IMPROVEMENT