To strengthen the academic exchange and cooperation in the areas of wheat breeding and water management, at the invitation of the Slovak Institute of Plant Production, a delegation of four people from HAAFS and its Dryland Farming Institute visited Slovakia from August 18 to 24.
On the 19th, the delegation visited Presov Plant Breeding Testing Station to observe the breeding and production of soft wheat and the wheat harvesting and storage facilities, as well as the general situation of rape, alfalfa and other crops. On the 20th, the delegation visited the Slovak Institute of Plant Production in Piestany. On the morning of the 21st, the delegation visited the agricultural production machinery exhibition in Nitra University; on the afternoon of the same day, they visited the Gene Bank and Molecular Biology Laboratory in Piestany and exchanged academic experience of wheat breeding on stress resistance, quality improving and tackling to the climate change. On the 22nd, the delegation participated in the Agricultural Fair AGROKOMPLEX in Nitra organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic. The innovative methods of wheat varieties adapting to climate change jointly developed by the Dryland Farming Institute and the Slovak side won the Slovak Golden Sickle Award. The delegation was invited to attend the awarding ceremony. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Slovakia Gabriela matecna issued the award to the Institute.
Through this visit, the members of delegation had a thorough understanding of Slovakia's agricultural development and research methods and advantages and shortcomings of each side, injected impetus into the future cooperation on the exchange, preservation, utilization and innovation of wheat resources, wheat molecular biology and wheat quality research.