At present, 7 researchers and 5 technicians are employed at the Fruit and Vine Growing Department on a permanent basis. 

The Department disposes of offices and laboratories at the seat of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia in Ljubljana while its research work takes place in the experimental orchard (16.79 ha) situated in Brdo near Lukovica and in collection-introduction plantation of American blueberries (2.51 ha) situated in Drenov Grič near Vrhnika. Beside field measurements and monitoring the majority of research work takes place in laboratory of plant physiology equipped with portable electronic devices used for measurement of photosynthetic activity of plants, electronic penetrometre used for measurement of fruit firmness, laboratory of vegetative propagation of plants "in vitro" and laboratory of serologic determination of major viruses of fruit plants and grapevine. 


RESEARCH WORK 

In the field of research work, members of the Fruit and Vine Growing Department are principal investigators or co-investigators at numerous basic, development or target research projects. In the recent years they have been engaged in the following investigations:

• Ecologic production of apples.
• Study of reasons for low average olive yields in Slovenian Istria.
• Sustainable production of strawberries and planting material – ecologic production of strawberries: designing of technologies used for ecologic production of strawberries in the local growing conditions.
• Development of optimal technology of application of growth regulators in fruit growing.
• Physiologic bases of selecting grapevine rootstock for stress conditions: study of influence of different rootstocks on growth and productivity of white autochthonous grapevine variety ‘Rebula’ under the conditions of water stress, since severe droughts occur ever more often in the vineyards of the vine-growing region Primorska.
• Possible improvement of grape quality by regulating the water status in grapevine: influence of different pruning levels of grapevine on water status of the plant and on yield quality.
• Crown gall disease (Agrobacterium sp.) in vine.
• Introduction of the procedure of official certification of planting material in fruit plants and grapevine (certification procedure).

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS 

Participation in international projects: 

• International project GENRES 081 - European network for grapevine genetic resources, conservation and characterisation;
• International project in frame of expert group for chemical thinning of apple fruitlets EUFRIN - European working group for chemical fruit thinning: testing of the use of Etefon, BA, NAA and their combinations on the successful fruitlet thinning in the varieties Gala and Golden Delicious.

EXPERT WORK 

Introduction and selection of fruit plants and grapevine: the co-ordination of expert project has been continued by the researchers of the Fruit and Vine Growing Department uninterruptedly for 45 years, i.e. since 1958. Also, experts of Biotechnical Faculty on Ljubljana, Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture Maribor, Fruit Growing Centres Bilje and Gačnik, Centre of Olive Growing Koper and Selection-nursery Centre in Ivanjkovci and Vrhpolje participate in the work on this project. The basic task of the project is to ensure the Slovenian fruit and vine growers a quality planting material of tested varieties of local and foreign origin. 

Expert management of Selection-nursery Centres in Vrhpolje near Vipava and Ivanjkovci near Ormož. 

The Department also participates in the program of gene bank of agricultural plants – (grapevine and small fruit). 


SERVICE ACTIVITY 

• Control of production of grafting and planting grapevine material.
• Testing of new apple fruitlet thinning product "Exilis" for the purpose of registration in Slovenia.

ADVISORY SERVICE 

Great efforts are made by staff members of the Department to see that the results of their work are always at disposal of all the interested Slovenian producers of fruit and grapes, agricultural advisors, students and other researchers. For this purpose, beside direct advising, the Department closely co-operates with Agricultural Advisory service at Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.