Department of Plant Biodiversity

Department
of Plant Biodiversity

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture
Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Pavilion 2, 3rd Floor

Scientific-teaching employeesPhoneE-mail (+ @agr.hr)
Assoc. Prof. Martina Grdiša, PhD, Head of Department
Associate Professor
+385 1 239 3623mgrdisa
Prof. Zlatko Šatović, PhD
Full Professor
+385 1 239 3935zsatovic
Prof. Klaudija Carović-Stanko, PhD
Professor
+385 1 239 3779kcarovic
Asst. Prof. Monika Vidak, PhD
Assistant Professor
+385 1 239 3694mvidak
Filip Varga, PhD
Postdoctoral Student
fvarga
Tomislav Javornik, MSc. agr.
Assistant
tjavornik
Expert-technical employeesPhoneE-mail (+ @agr.hr)
Boris Župan
Technical Assistant
+385 1 239 3617bzupan
Maja Župan Pour
Technical Assistant
+385 1 239 4026mzupan
Anto Grebenar
Support tehnical staff
+385 1 239 3617agrebenar

Teaching activities

Teaching activities provide students with scientific and practical knowledge in the field of seed production, conservation of plant genetic resources, molecular diversity and evolution, medicinal and aromatic, and repellent and insecticidal plants.

Scientific and research activities

The scientific and research activities of the Department of Seed Science and Technology are focused on the development and use of modern molecular genetic methods in the biodiversity and genetic structure analysis, genetic mapping, and analysis of loci for quantitative traits (QTLs) and the analysis of phylogenetic relationships. Biodiversity research is mainly orientated in evaluating the genetic structure of wild populations of different species of medicinal and aromatic plants (Medicinal sage - Salvia officinalis L.; Dalmatian pyrethrum - Tanacetum cinerariifolium /Trev./ Schultz Bip.), as well as the identification and classification of basil cultivars (Ocimum basilicum L.) and olives (Olea europea L.) and analysis of the genetic diversity of traditional common bean landraces (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

The researchers of the Department have been coordinators or collaborators of numerous national and international scientific projects, among them Epigenetic vs. genetic diversity in natural plant populations: A case study of Croatian endemic  Salvia species (financed by Croatian Science Foundation), Genetic basis of bioactive nutrient content in Croatian common bean landraces (financed by Croatian Science Foundation), Genetic background of Dalmatian pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium /Trevir./ Sch. Bip.) insecticidal potential (financed by Croatian Science Foundation), CEKOM 3LJ (financed by European Regional Development Fund) and Smart Integration of Genetics with Sciences of the Past in Croatia: Minding and Mending the Gap (Horizon 2020).

Employees of the Department are members of the Scientific Center of Excellence for Biodiversity and Molecular Breeding of Plants (CroP-BioDiv) whose leader is prof. dr. sc. Zlatko Šatović.

Experimental stations and laboratories

The experimental field occupies the area of 2,5 ha and it is a part of an Experimental station Maksimir. It is used for regeneration, maintenance, and seed production of mostly legumes and medicinal and aromatic plants.

The Department also has seed storage which consists of a cold chamber of 75 m3 and working space of 20 m2 for medium-term storage of seeds at 4 ° C, used for the maintenance of the Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP). The Collection has been established in 1998, and today it is a part of the National Program for Preservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in the Republic of Croatia. Through this collection, Croatian plant genetic resources of medicinal and aromatic plants are systematically collected, characterized, maintained, evaluated, regenerated, and documented in order that they can be introduced into agricultural production and breeding programmes.

History

The Department of Seed Science and Technology was established on March 10th, 1998 by the Faculty Council decision. The founder of the Department was Prof. dr. sc. Ivan Kolak. Prof. dr. sc. Ivan Kolak was the Head of the Department from 1998 until 2009. From 2009 to 2015, the Head of the Department was prof. dr. sc. Zlatko Šatović and from 2015 until now Assoc. prof. dr. sc. Klaudija Carović-Stanko.

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