The breeding activities in grasses, chicory, clovers, green manure crops, vegetables and ornamentals focus on the development of pre-breeding material. Improving resistance to diseases and plagues is a priority in this respect. A better nitrogen use efficiency and increased quality are important points of attention in the creation of new varieties of fodder grasses and vegetables. In ornamentals, we use interspecific hybridisation techniques to look for new shapes and colours.

One of the tasks of the department is to search for alternative applications of crops, like chicory and hops. We investigate the fodder quality of grasses and clovers. In addition we aim to optimize the function of crops for the production of bio-energy.

In the framework of international agreements, maintaining the genetic heritage is an important aspect. For this purpose, gene banks were created for important Flemish agricultural and horticultural crops with the aim of maintaining genetic biodiversity on the one hand and for the exploitation of interesting characteristics in the development of sustainable agriculture and horticulture on the other hand.

The application of new developments in biotechnology and bio-informatics in combination with field and glasshouse trials requires a multidisciplinary approach. Integration of knowledge from different research domains and the close collaboration with other institutes guarantees the achievement of the proposed goals.

More information can be found at www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be