History and objectives

“Agrobiotechnology Scientific Center” Branch of ANAU Foundation was established in 2004 on the basis of  “Plants’ Genetic Resource National Bank” of Ministry of Agriculture. Special attention is paid to the maintenance of plant species diversity: Plants’ Genetic Resource National Bank was established in “Scientific Center for  Agrobiotechnology” of the RA with support of the RA Ministry of Agriculture in 2005. In 2012 the center was unified with “Armenian State Agrarian University” SNCO with the status of branch.

Currently, the scientific center is one of the branches of Armenian National Agrarian Univerity. Plant growing aeroponic system has launched in the center since 2014.

Currently, the center is one of the branches of Armenian National Agrarian University, which has 2 divisions:

1. Application of biotechnology in plant breeding
2. Genetic bank of crops and crops’ wild relatives

The center has also experimental farms in Stepanavan and a greenhouse in Ejmiatsin
The main activities of the center are the followings;

1. Development and application of mass production technologies of healthy crop planting using tissue culture and aerophone methods,
2. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),
3. Rapid breeding of valuable varieties of agricultural crops, traditional varieties of hard-bearing plant varieties, species and unique samples (in vitro), collection and evaluation of Plant Genetic Resources (GIS) for food production and agriculture
4. Ex-situ conservation (seeds),
5. Conduction of genetic bank database,
6. In vitro conservation of crops (vegetative seedling plants), in vitro selection of plants, genetic diversity creation using in vitro, embryo culture and Mutagenesis.

At the center researches are being conducted on developing breeding and application technologies for potato, fruit trees (peach, almonds), blackberry, strawberry, grape, floral and ornamental plants (rose, cloves, chrysanthemum, lily, gloxinia, violet, fichus, enlightenment etc.), and other types of trees and herbs (acne, stomach, calendric, stevia, physicist, and so on). The activity of the genetic bank is directed to the conservation of agricultural plants and their wild relatives by the Ex-situ method. The developed method can also be used by plant breeders and farmers. Works of selection and seed farming are impossible to expand without preservation of valuable genetic resources.

The center collaborates with CGIAR research center, COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), research centers of Russia, Belarus, Germany, France, Peru, Netherlands, Georgia, Slovakia, Japan, Uzbekistan by organizing joint expeditions, sample exchange. The center has 19 employees, 10 of them are scientific workers, 6 of them have scientific degrees.