Институт по декоративни и лечебни растения (ИДЛР) - София

The Institute of Ornamental and Medicinal Plants (IOMP) – Sofia is a part of the Agricultural Academy in Bulgaria

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The institute was previously known under the name  Institute of Ornamental Plants (IOP). Since August 2018 the institute has been re-named to Institute of Ornamental and Medicinal Planta (IOMP). It is a follow up of the former Regional Centre for Research and Extension Service in Floriculture and Agriculture (2005-2008), of the former Department of Floriculture at AgroBioInstitute (2000-2005), of the previous Institute of Floriculture (1985-2000) and of the earlier Experimental Station of Flowers and Ornamental Shrubs (1979-1986).

IOMP is the only research institute in Bulgaria specialized in ornamental plant research. IOP conducts flexible basic and applied research to meet the needs of modern floriculture by implementation of nowadays technologies.

IOMP comprises a staff of 30 people, including 2 Professors, 3 Associate Professors, 2 Assistant Professors, 2 PhD students, research assistants, technicians, accountants and supporting staff.

The core activities and the thematic focus cover all important aspects of the research in floriculture in Bulgaria including: biodiversity, selection, introduction, mutagenesis, micropropagation, hormonal regulation of growth and development, nutrition and fertilization, stress physiology, programmed cell death, weed control, phytopathology, seed production, storage and quality of fresh ornamentals and planting material, exploration of wild ornamental species from Bulgarian flora for their protection, preservation, cultivation and use for transfer of genetic material for breeding purposes. By combining modern and conventional breeding methods, the breeding programme at IOP resulted in creation of a number or spray carnation, chrysanthemum, lily, gladiolus ,tagetes and dahlia cultivars. The laboratory for applied tissue culture research performs optimization and elaboration of protocols for micropropagation of new and traditional for the country ornamental species and cultivars and for mass production of disease-free planting material from gyposophylla, chrysanthemum, carnations, impatiens, petunia, aloe and other flowering and leafy ornamentals.

IOMP maintains a rich in vitro and ex situ collection of rare and endangered ornamental species from families Liliaceae, Caryophylaceae, Primulaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Iridaceae and Asteraceae and of a number of Bulgarian and foreign cultivars, local hybrids and wild species, including perennial flowers, spray carnation, chrysanthemums, annual flowers, lily, gladiolus, gerbera, carnation, petunia, chrysanthemum, pot plants, ornamental trees and shrubs.

The scientists are professionals in genetics and selection, biotechnology, floriculture, plant protection, agrochemistry and, plant physiology and have received trainings in prestigious research laboratories in The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Greece, United Kingdom, Russia, China, USA, etc.

For the last decade the research at IOP resulted in approximately 250 publications in outstanding international scientific journals and books, in Bulgarian scientific journals, conference proceeding and in other scientific issues.

IOMP works in cooperation with other Bulgarian research institutes from Agricultural Academy and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, with University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Agricultural University – Plovdiv, University of Forestry and with international partners. Projects are financed by Bulgarian and international funds, including EC FP5 and FP6, COST Actions, bilateral international projects, projects supported by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Environment and Waters, Agricultural Academy, etc. To meet the needs of practice, an Extension Service at IOP is operating to provide advices to growers and amateurs in plant protection, fertilization, post-harvest measures, rooting substances, growing technologies, supply with seed and planting material, organization of open days, training courses in floriculture, seminars, participation in agricultural fairs and exhibitions, etc. The Extension Service develops contract projects  for internal decoration, private and urban landscaping.

IOMP facilities include a modern equipped tissue culture lab, 4 growth chambers with controlled environment and capacity for mass production of 1 million plants per year, a gene bank, 0.5 ha heated greenhouse for acclimatization, 2.0 ha glasshouses for propagation and cultivation, 0.2 ha plastic greenhouses and 30 ha open fields.

At the conditions of increased demand for high scientific achievements, IOMP is developing a research strategy to meet the challenges and requirements of the modern floriculture by creation of disease and stress-resistant new cultivars of ornamental plants with unique ornamental value and expanded shelf life, through elucidation of the mechanisms of abiotic and biotic stress-induced plant response, application of biologically active substances for regulation of germination, rooting, growth and development, implementation of biotechnology for micropropagation of healthy ornamental plants, optimization of nutrition, development of species dependent schemes for weed control, enrichment and maintenance of the in vitro and ex situ collections of ornamental species, introduction of new for the country flower crops. Furthermore, a special attention is paid to the preservation of wild ornamental species and on the exploration of the native biodiversity aiming at utilizing the natural genetic resources for breeding purposes.

IOMP is accredited for education of PhD students with specialty in Ornamental Plants.