Breeding and diversification of crops for Nordic/Baltic Sea region: resilient, high quality, productive cultivars - a full-scale breeding (including pre-breeding, commercialization) for Latvia's major crops (apple, raspberry, blackcurrant, Japanese quince) and separate breeding elements for less-common crops (stone fruits, pears, melons, onions, garlic); anticipatory breeding - Japanese quince resistance to fire blight, blackcurrant drought tolerance and resistance, generative organ spring frost resistance; AI-supported phenotyping and genotyping; exploration and promotion of underutilized crops (e.g. edamame, honeysuckle, rowan, walnut, cornelian cherry).
Fundamental aspects and research supporting breeding and horticultural science: molecular marker and other indicator improvement, resistance genetics, using whole-genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis, resistance donor selection, pathogen biology and interaction with host (e.g. Ribes-Cecidophyopsis-BRV, P.communis–G.sabinae), self-incompatibility of Japanese quince, method development for host-pathogen interaction studies; emerging fungal pathogens of woody fruit crops - impact, diversity, host range, and infection sources.
