The founder of the journal is the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Center “V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Oil Crops” (VNIIMK). The institute originates from the experimental field “Kruglik” that was organized in 1912 at the Kuban military agricultural school by a young agronomist Vasily Stepanovich Pustovoit, later an academician of the Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 2022 the “Federal Research Center “V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Oil Crops” (VNIIMK) celebrates its 110 anniversary!
V.S. Pustovoit has developed a highly efficient method of sunflower breeding to improve yield, oil content, resistance to broomrape, sunflower moth, rust.
By means of breeding method developed by him, the oil content of sunflower varieties over the years of his work was increased from 28-32% to 50-55%.
Thanks to the work of V.S. Pustovoit sunflower with high oil content received international recognition as an oil crop and is now cultivated in many countries.
At the institute, by means of mutagenesis, the world’s first high-oleic sunflower was created which served as a parent material for the breeding of high-oleic hybrids throughout the world.
For the first time in the world, sunflower hybrids have been created at the institute that combine a high content of oleic acid and natural antioxidants of gamma and delta-tocopherols, which increase oil stability 16 times.
The world’s first non-erucic varieties of mustard (Brassica juncea) were created at the institute, the breeding of rapeseed varieties of type “00” is carried out, highly adaptive soybean varieties were created, with a potential yield of up to 6 tons per ha.
At present, VNIIMK is the main Russian institution for breeding of oil crops. It includes the Don, Siberian, Armavirskaya experimental stations, the Voznesensky branch, FSUE “Berezanskoye”.
The institute conducts breeding, studies issues of genetics, biochemistry, immunity, plant protection, technology and mechanization of production of sunflower, soybean, winter and spring rapeseed, winter and spring mustard (Brassica juncea), winter and spring turnip rapeseed, oil flax, false flax, coriander, sage and lavender.
102 researchers, including two academicians and two corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 18 doctors of sciences and 66 candidates of sciences work at the institute and its subordinate branches.
Over the years of the institute activity, 540 varieties and hybrids of oil and essential oil crops were developed.
As of 2022, the State Register of the Selection Achievements of the Russian Federation includes 267 varieties and hybrids of oil and essential oil crops bred at VNIIMK and its experimental network. Varieties and hybrids of oil crops of VNIIMK’s breeding occupy about 50% of the oil field of Russia.
Over the years of institute’s activity, 153 patents for inventions and utility models, and 333 patents for breeding achievements were received.
At the institute, 330 variants of technologies and elements of oil crops cultivation were developed, 85 experimental machines and tools of sowing, harvesting, post-harvest seed refinement, mechanization of breeding and seed operations were created.