The breeding and registration of a new sort of poppy seed called Azurit is the result of almost ten years of research by ecologists from Prešov University.
New poppy seeds have better parametres for harvest and quality than up-to-now registered types. Azurit has a stable and higher harvest of seeds and higher weight of a thousand seeds in comparison with control types Opal and Major.
Related story:Slovak mathematician among the world’s most cited researchers Read more "Poppy seeds are of a light-blue colour and have a higher volume of oil in the seed, what is the assumption of better taste and so the suitability of use for food purpose," explained Jozef Fejér from the Department of Ecology of Prešov University, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
During breeding, they used poppy from north-east Slovakia. Genotype PU-01 was tested between years 2016 and 2019 in State Sort Test and in 2019, it was registered as a new type of consumable poppy named Azurit.
Legal in Slovakia
Fejér opined that the creation of new types with improved quality parameters for food purpose in Slovakia is highly accurate.
"Slovakia and the Czech Republic are from a small number of countries within Europe and the world where it is possible to grow poppy for consumption legally, of course, fulfilling some legislation conditions," he said, as quoted by TASR.
Breeding aa new sort of poppy is the seventh such result of this type by scientists from Prešov University that is at patent levels. They also bred chamomile, mint and two species of amaranth registered in European Legal Protection of Sorts and they have four results at the level of a patent.
5. Feb 2020 at 14:04 | Compiled by Spectator staff
