Excursion to the International Breeding and Genetics Center and the Grain Quality Research Laboratory of Omsk State Agrarian University

On November 26, students of the “Standardization and Metrology” program took part in an excursion to the International Breeding and Genetics Center and the Grain Quality Research Laboratory of Omsk State Agrarian University.

The International Breeding and Genetics Center is a unique structural division of the university engaged in addressing issues of adaptive and ecological approaches to wheat breeding.  The combination of scientific continuity, tradition, and innovation is the hallmark of the center, allowing it to hold leading positions among breeding and genetics institutions in the country.

The head of the Educational and Research Laboratory of Crop Breeding and Seed Production named after S.I. Leontyev, Alexander Chursin, introduced participants to the structure and key activities of the International Breeding and Genetics Center. Students were presented with wheat varieties developed by the center’s scientists, including the pride and symbol of Omsk SAU — purple-grained wheat. They also learned about the main principles of forming wheat grain with specific characteristics and the peculiarities of realizing the genetic potential of cereal crops. Staff members Mikhail Koshkin and Daria Verner spoke to the students about the activities of the Grain Quality Research Laboratory, as well as modern methods and tools for studying the quality of grain crops.

This immersion into the research activities of the International Breeding and Genetics Center was made possible due to interfaculty collaboration in organizing students’ educational experiences. We express our sincere gratitude to the Dean of the Agrotechnology Faculty, Alexey Gaivas, and Professor of the Department of Food Products and Food Biotechnology of the Agrotechnology Faculty, Natalia Chernopolskaya, for their support in arranging this educational event. 

Yu.A. Diner