Programme: Rural Development Programme

The project proposal includes two main groups of demonstration activities related to the application of innovative methods and techniques for: /1/ cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) and /2/ in vitro propagation, production and quality assessment of planting material.
The first group includes three separate demonstrations of using mulch net and mulch foil for /1a/ establishment of MAP plantations, /1b/ plant development on mulch net and mulch film, and /1c/ demonstration of their effect in long-term cultivation of MAP. The demonstrations present innovative solutions to key problems in the creation of plantations and cultivation of LAR, including the main ones for Bulgaria, oil rose and lavender, as well as little cultivated in the country oregano, hyssop, St. John's wort, sage, etc. The demonstrations are aimed both at farmers growing MAP and those growing other crops but wishing to start cultivating MAP. A wide range of topics related to the use of mulching net and foil and drip irrigation for MAP cultivation are included, incl. techniques of creating new plantations, applied agrotechniques, monitoring of soil moisture and temperature, effect of net and foil use in long-term cultivation of MAP, etc.
The second group includes two separate demonstrations of /2a/ in vitro propagation, production and quality assessment of planting material in grapevine, including demonstration of genebank and genetic resources from grapevine and /2b/ available genetic resources in MAP, including results of application of accelerated selection for oil rose, lavender and other MAPs. Both demonstrations involved the application of molecular markers to determine the varietal authenticity and homogeneity of the planting material. The demonstrations are aimed at farmers wishing to use the available genetic resources and grow high-performance lines and varieties of grapevine and MAP from planting material of proven origin and quality.