Slavice Breeding Station
Natural conditions
The Slavice Breeding Station is located in a potato-growing production area, wheat subtype; the altitude fluctuates between 495–520 m, the average temperature is 7°C, and the average rainfall is 520 mm.
Breeding
The soil and climatic conditions of the station allow for intensive clover production, both in terms of seed and forage. Therefore, clovers have been and continue to be the primary focus of breeding at the station, specifically red clover 2n and white clover, followed to a lesser extent by kidney vetch, white sweet clover, and formerly birdsfoot trefoil.
Currently, work is underway on breeding supplementary clover species:
Field clover, Trifolium nigrescens, Trifolium rubens, and Trifolium ambiguum.
Other crops include fodder kale and especially grasses such as perennial ryegrass 2n, giant bentgrass, sweet vernal grass, tall fescue, sheep’s fescue, annual bluegrass, slender hairgrass, etc. In the past, the station bred spring vetch and winter oilseed rape. The area dedicated to new breeding has ranged from several hectares to 20 ha in individual years.
Maintenance breeding of numerous forage varieties also takes place on a large scale at the station, currently involving 31 varieties (including 8 out of 9 Czech white clover varieties).
Newly registered varieties
- In 2006, two new varieties of red clover, Slavoj and Slavín, and the perennial ryegrass variety Jonas were bred at the Breeding Station.
- In 2007, a new variety of perennial ryegrass, Slávek, was bred.
- In 2008, other new varieties were bred: Sadek (perennial ryegrass), Luke (white clover), Ariel (fodder kale), and Vaclav (giant bentgrass).
- In 2009, the white clover varieties Bak and Borek were bred.
- In 2012, the Caucasian clover variety Vonek was bred.
- In 2019, the perennial ryegrass varieties Petrus and Vojtech were bred.
- In 2020, the technical tall fescue variety Agnes was bred.
- In 2023, the tall fescue variety Martinka was bred.
Currently, we offer all these varieties for multiplication as suitable break crops. In a time of falling cereal prices, they appear to be promising crops for crop rotation.
Other activities
In addition to breeding and multiplication activities, the station prepares grass and clover-grass mixtures. The current range includes 12 types of mixtures, and we prepare others by agreement according to the customer’s wishes. The station prepares specialized mixtures for specific users according to customer requirements and the intended purpose (lawns for housing estates in dry locations, reclamation, inter-rows in orchards and vineyards, heavy-duty playgrounds, etc., as well as mixtures for horses, sheep, goats, ostriches, airports, orchards, etc.). Free advisory services are a matter of course.
Furthermore, company trials with maize, winter barley, winter triticale, perennial ryegrass, and alfalfa are established at the station.
In crop production, we are engaged in the production of winter wheat, spring wheat, and winter oilseed rape.
Offer of multiplication
We offer mediated multiplication of white mustard, Italian ryegrass, giant bentgrass, and others for our foreign partners. For more information, call: 568 843 112
Contacts
Station Manager
Martin Svoboda
Lead Breeder
Ing. Marcela Šoustalová
Junior Breeder
Eva Dufková
Junior Breeder
Vendula Linhartová
History of the Slavice Breeding Station
The station was founded in 1946 and is located on the outskirts of the village of Slavice. The village of Slavice was originally independent; since 1980, it has been an integrated part of the town of Třebíč, which is 4 km away.
However, the original plan to establish a workplace for the State Research Institute for Clover here was not realized. Since its founding, the station has specialized in the breeding of forage crops, among which the breeding of white clover, red clover, and perennial ryegrass gradually predominated. In 1977, the station was then affiliated with VŠÚP Troubsko. In 1980, a reconstruction and extension of the facility (originally a residual estate) was carried out, which significantly improved the working conditions for breeding.
After privatization, the Slavice Breeding Station became part of the company AGROGEN spol. s r.o. Troubsko, and its breeding activities continue.
