Agrarian science in the face of modern challenges: the results of the work of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia on the development of agriculture
Despite the unprecedented sanctions pressure, the department continues to carry out systematic work on the development of scientific organizations, reports press service of the Ministry of education.
According to the director of the department for coordinating the activities of organizations in the field of agricultural sciences of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science Vugar Bagirov, budget funding in the field of agricultural sciences increased from 6,1 to 15,2 billion rubles, and extra-budgetary funding from 6,6 to 19,8 billion rubles.
As part of the implementation of the national project "Science and Universities", 35 selection and seed production and selection and breeding centers have recently been created, including 32 in the field of crop production and 3 in the field of animal husbandry. About 4 billion rubles of additional funding has been allocated for their development. The key task of the centers is to provide the country with domestic breeding material. Also, within the framework of the national project, 114 new scientific laboratories in the field of breeding, seed production and molecular genetics were opened. In 2022, it is planned to create another 50 new laboratories.
Vugar Baghirov also said that over the past two years, 2,2 billion rubles have been allocated to upgrade the instrumental scientific base. Moreover, on behalf of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov, budget funds were allocated for the purchase of specialized agricultural equipment for subordinate scientific organizations, which will allow the purchase of specialized agricultural equipment worth about 5 billion rubles through a leasing system.
Recently, 80 federal research centers have also been created, 30 of them are interdisciplinary research centers.
The department acts as a responsible executor of the Food Security Doctrine of Russia in terms of providing the country with seeds of the highest reproductions of domestic selection at the level of 75%. At present, scientific organizations have been tasked with providing Russia with seeds at the level of 100% in the near future. According to Vugar Bagirov, there are all possibilities for this. Already this year, scientific organizations have increased their sown areas for the production of seeds of higher reproductions by 20%, next year it is planned to increase by another 30%.
Key tasks of agricultural science
The director of the department for coordinating the activities of organizations in the field of agricultural sciences of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia pays special attention to the need to actively promote domestic breeding forms to the countries of near and far abroad and increase their export potential. The created selection and seed-growing centers will allow to realize these tasks.
The Ministry of Education and Science, together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, as part of the implementation of the Federal Scientific and Technological Program for the Development of Agriculture for 2017-2030, has prepared 15 subprograms, 9 of which have been approved. Three of them - in the field of potato breeding, sugar beet and poultry farming - are already being implemented, and certain results have been achieved.
Last year, together with the real sector of the economy, it was possible to produce about 20 thousand tons of elite potato seeds. This is 50% of the need for commercial production of elite seeds, which in general is 40 thousand tons. Scientists have created and registered 29 new competitive potato varieties of domestic selection.
In relation to sugar beet, 23 domestic hybrids were created, 9 of them were registered. Together with the real sector of the economy, it was possible to produce 268 thousand sowing units of sugar beet of domestic hybrids, which is 26% of the demand of the sugar beet seed market.
According to Vugar Bagirov, the country will reach the level of self-sufficiency in competitive domestic selection and genetic material by 2025.