Brief history and actual orientation of ARI

Agroecology Research Institute in Michalovce (ARI) is from January 1st, 2014 part of the National Agricultural and Food Centre, the organization established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic.

Agroecology Research Institute in Michalovce (ARI) was established in 1965. The ARI is located in Michalovce and specialises in the problems of agricultural utilisation and reclamation of land in Východoslovenská nížina (the East Slovak Lowland). The institute has established since 1965 at the research workplace Milhostov long-term stacionary experiments.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTE

• Agricultural using and increasing of production potential of the heavy and extremely heavy soils  with respect to the rational using of natural and anthropogenic sources and regional economical, ecological and social aspects.
• Research of the dominant agro-ecological factors of creation and regulation of main field crops (winter wheat, spring barley, corn, pea, soya bean, broad bean, sunflower, winter rape, alfalfa, red clover) in the East Slovak Lowland.
• Increasing the quality of the agro-environment and agricultural production in the process of ecologization of agricultural using of the farmland in the East Slovak Lowland.
•  Updating the risk factors in connection with presumption climate change.
• Research of protective soil tillage technologies and soil amendments for keeping of soil fertility, the optimalization of soil physico-chemical properties and mitigation of climate change on plant production.
• Quantification and research non-production function of soil and landscape.
• Development of the special crop production (thermophilic  alternative crops) with the main emphasis on the protection of the environment and application of non-waste technologies.
• Effect of ecological load on the plant production and possibilities for elimination of these effects.
• Harmonization of the productive and environmental functions of main field crops in the sustainable agricultural  systems in the East Slovak Lowland.
• Cropping technologies for newly introduced or re-introduced energy and low tonnage crops in relation to phytomass quality (soil treatment, nutrition, plant protection, bioheat, biogas etc.).
• Weed mapping (all Slovakia).
• The basic substances in the plant protection and their implementation in practice.
• Monitoring of new plant pests in East Slovak Lowland.
• Monitoring  invasive alien species on agricultural land.