Breeding field crops and vegetables in Croatia

Prva sorta poljoprivrednog bilja odabrana iz planskog međusortnog križanja u Hrvatskoj bila je sorta kukuruza Stražimirac. Autor sorte bio je Dragutin Stražimir iz Donje Zeline. Sorta se proširila u proizvodnji polovinom XIX stoljeća. Početak znanstvenog oplemenjivačkog rada u Hrvatskoj bio je vezan uz Kraljevsko gospodarsko-šumarsko učilište u Križevcima. G. Bohutinsky je prvi hrvatski biljni oplemenjivač i znanstvenik. Radio je na ovom učilištu od 1904-1914.g. Najviše je poznat po sorti pšenice Sirban prolifik. Bohutinsky i Mandekić već u prvoj dekadi XIX st. rade i na proučavanju samooplodnih linija i hibrida kukuruza. Ovaj problem su kasnije, prije II svjetskog rata, na Poljoprivredno-šumarskom fakultetu u Zagrebu proučavali Tavčar i Kvakan. Nakon Mandekića u Križevcima je radio na oplemenjivanju poljoprivrednog bilja Korić od 1922-1931., kada je prešao u Osijek. Najpoznatija mu je sorta pšenice U1. Bio je uspješan i u oplemenjivačkom radu na kukuruzu. Tavčar je bio autor više sorata poljoprivrednih kultivara iako je bio prvenstveno genetičar i pedagog. Prije drugog svjetskog rata na oplemenjivanju bilja rađeno je uspješno i na vlastelinstvima u istočnoj Hrvatskoj, već od 1909. na imanju grofa Pejačevića u Rumi, nešto kasnije na imanju grofa Eltza u Vukovaru i dr. Nakon II svjetskog rata oplemenjivački rad na poljoprivrednom i povrtnom bilju bio je najviše izvođen u Institutu za oplemenjivanje i proizvodnju bilja u Zagrebu (danas Bc Instutut) i na Poljopirvednom institutu u Osijeku. Na oplemenjivanju duhana radilo se u Duhanskom instutu u Zagrebu, a na šećernoj repi u Institutu za šećernu repu u Osijeku. Na oplemenjivanju povrća rađeno je u Institutu za povrće u Botincu. Na oplemenjivanju bilja rađeno je i na sadašnjem Agronomskom fakultetu u Zagrebu i na Poljoprivrednom instututu u Križevcima, a u novije vrijeme i u nekoliko privatnih tvrtki. Hrvatskim biljnim oplemenjivačima je do 1999. g. priznato ukupno 730 domaćih kultivara pretežno oraničnog bilja. Najpoznatija imena nakon II svjetskog rata su Potočanac, autor prvih visokorodnih polupatuljastih sorata pšenice i Palaveršić, autor prvog hrvatskog hibrida kukuruza. Selekcije oba autora su svojevremeno dominirala u proizvodnji u Hrvatskoj. Kod većine poljoprivrednih kultura domaće selekcije su i danas najviše tražene od strane hrvatskih proizvođača.The first field crop variety developed from a two variety cross was the maize variety Stražimirovac. Its author was Dragutin Stražimir, a priest in Donja Zelina. The variety became very popular among the maize producers around the middle of XIXth century. However, the beginning of scientifically based plant breeding was at the Royal High School for Agriculture and Forestry in Križavci during the first decade of XXth century. The first Croatian breeder scientist was Bohutinsky. He was best known by his wheat variety Sirban Prolifik. Bohutinsky worked on developing maize inbred lines and hybrids too, together with Mandekić. On the same topic worked Tavčar and Kvakan at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry in Zagreb, before the IInd World War. After Mandekić, the breeding program in Križevci was continued by Korić. He came to Križevce in 1922 and went to work in Osijek in 1931. His great success was the wheat variety U1, although he warked on several crop species. At the beginning of this century, breeding work was successfully done on large private farms in Eastern Croatia as well, i.e. on the farm of count Pejačević in Ruma, on the farm of count Eltz in Vukovar etc. After the II nd World war breeding work on field crop species was carried out mostly in the Institute for Plant Breeding and Production (Bc Institute) in Zagreb, and in the Agricultural Institute in Osijek. Tobacco breeding was done in the Tobacco institute Zagreb, sugar beet breeding in the Institute for Breeding Sugar Beet in Osijek and vegetable breeding in the Institute for Vegetable Breeding in Botinec. Also plant breeding was done at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, at the Agricultural High School in Križevci and at the Potato Breeding Station in Stara Sušica. More recently several private plant breeding firms have been established. Until 1999, 730 domestic varieties have been released from the Croatian plant breeding programs, mostly of the field crops. The most known names among the breeders after the IInd World war were Potočanac, author of first Croatian semidwarf high yielding wheats, and Palaveršić, author of first Croatian maize inbred hybrids. Domestic varieties of many field crop species were the only ones, that Croatian farmers preferred to grow