EU Innovation Journey'25

Skierniewice, Poland | www.inhort.pl

The National Institute of Horticulture is a research institute established on 1 January 2011 pursuant to the regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development by merging two research and development units with a long tradition and rich research and implementation achievements: the Institute of Pomology and Floriculture named after Szczepan Pieniążek and the Institute of Vegetable Crops named after Emil Chroboczek.

The basic and applied research conducted at the Institute covers issues related to the production of fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants, and edible mushrooms, ranging from physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, through biotechnology, modern and classical plant breeding, protection of genetic resources, plant protection against pests, to agrotechnics, processing, and storage of fruit and vegetables, agroengineering, and economics. The Institute also conducts research in the field of beekeeping, including bee breeding, apiary technologies, the quality of bee products, and pollination of plants.

The scientific studies conducted at the Institute are in line with the trends in the social and economic development of the country, as well as the principles of the Common Agricultural Policy implemented by countries of the European Union. They are focused on developing new technologies and acquiring the necessary knowledge for the further development of the horticultural sector in Poland. Particular attention is paid to issues related to organically grown crops.

During the visit, participants will have the opportunity to see:

1. CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES − This is a research and development center operating within the structure of the Institute of Horticulture − National Research Institute, bringing together interdisciplinary scientific teams working to solve the most important and key economic problems of an environmental nature for horticultural production. Presentation of the SPIN-FERT Consortium − the project funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe which aims to revolutionize soil management in horticulture.
2. Project presentation – An economical, autonomous, modular machine for identifying and harvesting apples using artificial intelligence – HARVBOT (INFOSTRATEG IV).
3. HORTI FOOD PROCESSING CENTRE − The machinery and technology park located in the HORTI FOOD PROCESSING CENTRE enables work to be carried out on increasing the range of well-known fruit and vegetable products, such as NFC juices, smoothies, or jams. It allows for the development of technologies for new, innovative products based on horticultural raw materials.
4. REGIONAL CENTRE FOR HORTICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY − The main objective of the center is to protect horticultural biodiversity by preserving seeds of a wide range of genotypes − amateur and regional varieties of vegetables, generative rootstocks of fruit plants, native shrubs and ornamental perennials, melliferous plants, species of wild relatives of horticultural plants, and plants accompanying crops.
5. LABORATORY OF POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGY OF HORTICULTURAL COMMODITIES – is determining the harvest date and assessing the quality of fruit and vegetables. Assessment of the capacity, durability, and storage value of fruits and vegetables. Assessment of the impact of pre- and post-harvest factors on the quality and shelf life of horticultural products.
6. FOOD SAFETY LABORATORY performs analyses of plant protection product residues in food, agricultural products, and environmental samples (water, soil). The laboratory conducts scientific research and provides services in the field of determining residues of plant protection products.