Nikolay and Gizda, the two new varieties of ordinary winter wheat developed by Sadovo-based Institute for Plant Genetic Resources were recognized at the latest expert committee session of the Executive Agency for Plant Variety Testing, Field Inspection and Seed Control.

The announcement was made by Prof. Siyka Stoyanova, head of the scientific unit at the Agricultural Academy.

Drought- and cold-resistant, the new varieties can ensure better yields hence heftier profits for producers. Twenty-one new varieties have been bred at the Institute and officially recognized over the past five years. The latest developments will be showcased at the 22nd AGRA 2013 international exhibition that will take place in Plovdiv from March 5 to 9.

The global climate change, which looked like a distant chimera in the nineties, have unfortunately invaded our daily lives, said Prof. Stoyanova. She sounded the alarm that the latest scenarios and forecasts anticipate shorter vegetation and reproduction seasons for agricultural crops, which could spur a steep slide in yields and cause the quality of the produce to deteriorate. This is why scholars at the Sadovo Institute are taking a string of adaptive measure to curb the impact of climate change on agriculture development.

The variety is one of the main components in the technological solutions of each crop, according to Prof. Stoyanova. Developing the right variety structure tailored to the specific agricultural and ecological properties of the area could significantly raise yields and improve the quality of the produce, thus combating climate change.