The history of DCSATS goes back to 1967, when it was established as one of the three Departments of ITS (together with the Department of Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics and with the Department of Technical and Economic Development of Rural Areas in the Tropics and Subtropics). The main research objective of DCSATS is to develop improved technologies in the production of new and alternative crops. Until 1989 only foreign students from the developing countries were admitted for studies of crop production in the tropics and subtropics. Czech students started this specialized studies in 1992.
Focus:
One of four departments of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, focused on tropical plant production. Our department aims to contribute to higher sustainability, productivity and resilience of smallholder’s farming systems in tropical and subtropical regions through increased use of plant resources diversity.
Educational activity:
In its teaching the department focuses on production and agroecology of tropical crops with special orientation on traditional and ecological agricultural systems (e.g. agroforestry) as well as modern production methods (e.g. plant biotechnologies) complete with specialized scientific disciplines, such as ethnobotany and chemoecology.
Research activity:
Through its research, the department aims to identifying novel crops (underutilized species with promising economic value) their conservation/domestication and to exploring opportunities for their commercial use. Through this approach we would like to contribute to food security, nutrition and health of the smallholder farming communities in the developing world. We conduct ethnoecological studies of smallholder’s farming systems with the aim to determine cultivated and wild plant diversity and traditional practices related to production and use of plant resources. Two of our three laboratories focus on crop improvement through biotechnological applications in plant sciences. Molecular biology lab is oriented on genetic characterization of plant resources, whereas tissue culture section focuses on development of novel micropropagation methods for production of genetically identical and healthy planting material. Nutritional, phytochemical and pharmacological research performed by the Laboratory of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology is focused on identification of new foods with increased nutritional and health benefits as well as on development of high added-value products utilizable in food and pharmaceutical industries.
International contacts:
Czech Republic
Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, Faculty of Horticulture in Lednice
Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague
Potato Research Institute Havlickuv Brod, Ltd.
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Charles University Prague, Natural Science Faculty
Institute of Chemical Technology Prague
Peru
Universidad National de Ucayali, Pucallpa
ICRAF (World Agroforestry Centre), Pucallpa
Universidad National de San Antonio Abad del Cuzco
Namibia
University of Namibia, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Ecuador
Universidad Técnica del Norte, Estación Experimental Santa Catalina, Ibarra
Bolivia
Universidad Nacional Siglo XX., Potosí, Facultad de Agropecuaria