The Institute of Plant Genetic Resources is located in the town of Sadovo, Central South Bulgaria, situated 15 km away from Plovdiv. Sadovo is the administrative center of the Municipality Sadovo. The area has a typical continental climate – warm summers and cold winters. In 1916 in the meteorological station – Sadovo was measured the highest temperature for Bulgaria – 45,20C.

The IPGR manage 270 ha arable land, 155 ha of which are experimental fields and 115 ha be seed base.

THE NATIONAL GENEBANK.
In the IPGR is located the National Seed Genebank of Bulgaria. The research activities are carried out according to the FAO standards (1980-1995-2014) for long-term conservation of plant germplasm under controlled conditions.
Three collections are maintained:
- Base collection-long-term conservation of accessions in hermetically closed containers at -18ºC and at 3–7% moisture (depending upon species). Under these conditions the plant germplasm could be preserved with minimal changes over decades or hundred and more years;
- Work collection – consists accessions with temporary registration in the National inventory. The seeds are conserved there for 3-10 years under +6 ºC, 50%RH;
- Collection for free exchange- accessions for free exchange with national and international partners.

In the National Seed Genebank of Bulgaria are preserved above 60 000 seed samples, from them 43 147 are under long-term storage conditions. Base collection is presented from 33 families, 150 genus and 600 plant species.

Also botanical garden, herbarium, computer center and specialized laboratories: seed-investigation, plant protection, biochemistry, plant physiology, agricultural chemistry, plant biotechnology and quality of grain.

The Institute for Plant Genetic Resources is accredited to educate regular and part-time PhD students in scientific discipline: „Breeding and Seed Production of crops“. IPGR has qualified scientific personnel and good facilities for teaching practices and internships to students and manual for graduates and postgraduates in different directions in agricultural science.

The main research topics are collection, study, storage, documentation and use of plant genetic resources;

IPGR is National Coordinator of the Programme for Plant Genetic Resources, which is part of the European Programme for Plant Genetic Resources;
Maintaining in the National Genebank, quarantine and botanical garden plant species according to criteria agreed with FAO;

BREEDING PROGRAMME
The tasks of priority:
Common winter wheat
1. Breeding for drought resistance in common winter wheat:
– Development of selection strategy for drought resistance and creation of breeding lines and varieties with stable yield at different stages of plant growth period.
– Investigations of relationships between drought resistance of wheat and their productivity and grain quality.
2. Breeding of strong varieties – with high quality of grain, and varieties suitable for low inputs.
3. Breeding for Fusarium resistance:
– Methods of evaluation for resistance in field conditions and artificial inoculation – development and uniform.
– Identification of new sources for resistance against Fusarium pathogens in spike and including in breeding program.
4. Evaluation of wheat breeding materials for uptake and redistribution of nutrition’s in organs in relation with resistance to abiotic stress factors and their ability to low input practices.

Peanuts and sesame
- Introduction, breeding and technology of new varieties of peanuts and sesame
- Creation of early ripening, high-yielding, disease-resistant, with good economic performance varieties of peanuts and sesame suitable for mechanized cultivation and harvesting. Introduction and exploration of new varieties of peanuts and sesame for the purpose of selection and production. Development and improvement of individual units of production technology of peanuts and sesame.

Rice
Creation and adaptation of varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.), high productivity, quality and adaptability.