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Achieve

The 2012/2013 academic year turned out to be a breakthrough in the activity of the Farmers’ Science Club. Its members are heard more and more often in the national student arena.

Here are our latest achievements:

Year 2013

  • Review of Scientific Circles – Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 11.01.2013 Warsaw. Distinction by Michał Pędrak (KNR) for his work on the topic: “Overcoming the crisis or how an innovative person copes in difficult times”. Engineering section. Research supervisor of work: dr Katarzyna Kucińska.
  • XVIII International Conference of Student Scientific Circles and XXX Sejmik SKN 16-17.05.2013 Wrocław. Two speeches by Michał Pędrak (KNR) on the topics: 1. “Overcome the crisis or how an innovative person deals with difficult times” and 2. “How to unlock the genetic potential of dairy cattle on small farms”. Scientific supervisor of the works: dr Katarzyna Kucińska.
  • 12th CONFERENCE OF STUDENT SCIENCES “Learning young people on the way to sustainable development”, 7-8.09.2013 Siedlce. Distinction from Magdalena Kuźmicka (KNR) for her work on the topic: “The threat of potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) in potato cultivation and new tendencies in combating it”. Life Sciences section. Research supervisor of work: dr Katarzyna Kucińska
  • November, 2013. Scientific Student Conference 2013 Vienna in BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Live Sciences. “Sustainability challenge – Technological advancements and other solutions”. Michał Pędrak: “Improving the milk yeld of dairy cattle in small farms as a key to the business”.
  • Review of Scientific Circles – Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 13.12.2013 Warsaw. Distinction by Michał Pędrak (KNR) for his work on the topic: “The influence of the shape of cheese on the results of the family cheese business”. Economic section. Research supervisor of work: dr Katarzyna Kucińska.
  • Review of Scientific Circles – Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 13.12.2013 Warsaw. Distinction by Michał Pędrak and Agnieszka Bielawska (KNR) for the work on the topic: “The effect of L-DOPA on the growth of tomato seedlings roots”. Research supervisor of work: dr Katarzyna Kucińska.

Biological progress in agriculture is now common. It depends increasingly on the application of the achievements of genomics and genetic engineering. The past 25 years have brought spectacular achievements in those areas whose history dates back only to the 1970s. and 80. XX century.

In order to broaden their knowledge and acquire skills in laboratory work, students of the Faculty of Agriculture and Biology took part in the workshop “Create yourself GMO”, organized by our Circle. The main aim of the course was to understand the mechanisms used in plant transformation. Although the season is in full swing, this did not prevent our farmers from finding a free moment. The first part of the Workshop was held in June at the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Agriculture and Biology. Thanks to the courtesy of the Head of the Department, Dr. Sławomir Orzechowski, and the involvement of Dr. Agnieszka Grabowska, the students independently transformed the model plant: Arabidopsis thaliana, using the vector: Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The second part of the course, scheduled for December 2013, will be devoted to detailed molecular analyzes of modified seeds.

We are ready to organize other, equally interesting activities. We count on your tips on what you would like to do, what to learn, and in what field to deepen your vision.

When all students are resting on a well-deserved vacation, this is the perfect time for some of us to gain new experiences. Thanks to the cooperation of the Faculty of Agriculture and Biology with representatives of the Swiss company Syngenta, two agricultural students: Ewa Chomać and Magdalena Kuźmicka had the opportunity to undergo a 6-week internship at one of the experimental stations in Germany. Syngenta is a world leader in cultivation: it plays a significant role in the plant protection sector as well as in the seed sector. -We started the apprenticeship in mid-July at the Liesborn breeding station near Dortmund. We worked on the flowering of maize, because it is this plant that the branch is famous for. Despite the hard work, often several hours long, we could see the experimental plots with our own eyes, follow various breeding programs, and observe wild maize species. We selected plants from the Dent and Flint lines (crossing block), we inoculated the maternal lines with Fusarium sp. Strains, we isolated male and female inflorescences and then pollinated.

It took a lot of courage on our part to leave, but we did not regret our decision even for a moment. We met many new people, incl. from Hungary, Ukraine, Peru. We worked with wonderful people, we got to know their culture. The biggest advantage of the trip was the possibility to “polish” as many as three foreign languages, first of all English, then German and Russian.

In addition, we were so interested in growing plants that we would like to work as growers in the future. This profession requires a huge audience in the field of genetics, plant physiology and, above all, teaches analytical thinking. The breeder should have the ability to anticipate, but must also be lucky.

In Germany, we could also observe winter rape cultivation and sugar beet seed plantation, which is rare in Polish realities.

Despite six weeks of hard work, we are very satisfied with the internship. We hope that the department will make every effort to ensure that the cooperation will be continued in the coming years.