Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC)
The Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC) is a public research institution established by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. The Center was founded on 1 January 2025 through the reorganization of the Crop Research Institute (CRI, the parent organization) and the integration of the Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering (VÚZT) and the Food Research Institute Prague (VÚPP), both of which were dissolved in the merger.
Director: Jiban Kumar, Ph.D. (email: jiban.kumar@nullcarc.cz)
Deputy Director for Science and Research: Assoc. prof. Roman Pavela, Ph.D. (email: roman.pavela@nullcarc.cz)
Deputy Director for Economics: Linda Šimková, MA (email: linda.simkova@nullcarc.cz)
Deputy Director for Operations: Mgr. Michal Bielecki (email: michal.bielecki@nullcarc.cz)
CARC Mission
Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC) conducts strategically oriented, interdisciplinary research across agriculture, food science and technology, environmental science, and the bioeconomy, with particular emphasis on their interconnections.
The Centre generates rigorously validated knowledge and technological innovations to support sustainable raw material production, improve food quality and safety, enable climate-resilient adaptation of agricultural systems, and foster innovative approaches to bioeconomy.
CARC aspires to be a competitive scientific institution of high national and international standing, making significant contributions to the advancement of the agricultural and food sectors.
Key Claims of CARC
- Center for Scientific Innovation
- Promote balance between agroecosystems and agricultural production
- Develop crop varieties adapted to future challenges
- Enhance food quality, nutritional value, and safety
- Design sustainable, ecology-based strategies for plant protection
- Advance in cultivation systems and agricultural technologies
- Apply precision farming and digital technologies across the agri-food system
- Facilitate a circular bioeconomy through resource recovery and reuse
CARC Research
The Czech Agrifood Research Centre (CARC) organises its research within five divisions comprising numerous research teams and experimental stations.
Division of Crop Management Systems
(Head: Ladislav Menšík, Ph.D.; email: ladislav.mensik@nullcarc.cz)
Innovates farming systems and cultivation technologies, improves soil fertility and plant nutrition, and mitigates negative impacts on soil and the environment.
Research Focus
- Soil organic matter dynamics and their role in agroecosystem stability
- Integrated plant nutrition systems for enhanced nutrient use efficiency
- Microbial and biochemical indicators of soil health in agricultural landscapes
- Precision agriculture technologies for sustainable crop production (agriculture 4.0)
- Adaptation of crop production systems to climate variability in the Czech republic
- Biodiversity and functional stability of arable and grassland ecosystems
- Agricultural biomass and biowaste utilisation for soil fertility and renewable energy
- Soil–plant interactions and nutrient uptake physiology under variable management systems
- Long-term field experiments
Research teams
- Integrated plant nutrition (Head: Helena Kusá, Ph.D.; email: helena.kusa@nullcarc.cz)
- Technologies for sustainable agriculture and landscape restoration (Head: Sergej Usťak, CSc.; email: sergej.ustak@nullcarc.cz)
- Management of Nutrients in Agrosystems (Head: Lukáš Hlisnikovský, Ph.D.; email: lukas.hlisnikovsky@nullcarc.cz)
- Agricultural Soil Science and pedobiology (Head: Veronika Řezáčová, Ph.D.; email: veronika.rezacova@nullcarc.cz)
- Crop physiology and plant nutrition for sustainable agriculture (Head: Jana Wollnerová, Ph.D.; email: jana.wollnerova@nullcarc.cz)
- Field experimentation (Head: Václav Merunka, MSc; email: vaclav.merunka@nullcarc.cz)
- Management and utilisation of permanent grasslands (Head: Pavel Nerušil, Ph.D.; email: pavel.nerusil@nullcarc.cz)
Division of Crop Protection and Plant Health
(Head: Jan Lukáš, Ph.D.; email: jan.lukas@nullcarc.cz)
Advances understanding of plant–pathogen–pest interactions to develop sustainable crop protection and support resilient agricultural systems.
Research Focus
- Plant–pathogen–insect interactions in agroecosystems: mechanisms and applications
- Molecular determinants of pathogenicity and virulence in key plant pathogens
- Development of innovative diagnostic tools for early detection of plant pathogens and pests
- Predictive and epidemiological modelling for pest risk assessment (PRA) and crop protection
- Mechanisms of plant resistance to biotic stressors and their biotechnological utilisation
- Botanical pesticides and natural compounds for sustainable crop protection
- Health and immunity of honeybee populations: proteomic approaches and pathogen resistance
- Weed biodiversity and its role in agroecosystem functioning and crop protection
Research teams
- Secondary plant metabolites in crop protection (Head: Assoc. prof. Roman Pavela, Ph.D.; email: roman.pavela@nullcarc.cz)
- Biologically active substances in crop protection (Head: Tomáš Erban, Ph.D.; email: tomas.erban@nullcarc.cz)
- Protection of stored products against storage pests (Head: Assoc. prof. Václav Stejskal, Ph.D.; email: vaclav.stejskal@nullcarc.cz)
- Plant virus and vector interactions (Head: Lucie Slavíková, Ph.D.; email: lucie.slavikova@nullcarc.cz)
- Integrated pest management in agricultural crops (Head: Kamil Holý, Ph.D.; email: kamil.holy@nullcarc.cz)
- Agriculture bacteriology (Head: Václav Krejzar, Ph.D.; email: vaclav.krejzar@nullcarc.cz)
- Ecology, diagnostics, and gen. resources of agriculturally important viruses, fungi, and phytoplasmas (Head: Petr Komínek, Ph.D.; email: petr.kominek@nullcarc.cz)
- Functions of invertebrate and plant biodiversity in agroecosystems (Head: Assoc. prof. Pavel Saska, Ph.D.; email: pavel.saska@nullcarc.cz)
- Epidemiology and ecology of microorganisms (Head: Assoc. prof. Markéta Marečková, Ph.D.; email: marketa.mareckova@nullcarc.cz)
Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding
(Head: Miloš Faltus, Ph.D.; email: milos.faltus@nullcarc.cz)
Study of the genetic basis of economically important traits, selection, creation, preservation and use of genotypes with desired properties and traits.
Research Focus
- Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources for Crop Improvement
- Molecular and Genomic Bases of Agronomically Important Traits
- Breeding Strategies for Enhanced Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance
- Introduction and Evaluation of Minor and Novel Crop Species
- Omics-Guided Development of High-Value Plant Varieties
- Phenotypic Plasticity and Genotype–Environment Interactions in Crop Breeding
- Metabolic Pathway Analysis for Nutritional and Health Quality of Crops
- Development and Validation of Innovative Breeding Tools
Research teams
- Gene bank (Head: Dagmar Janovská, Ph.D.; email: dagmar.janovska@nullcarc.cz)
- Genetic resources of vegetables and speciality crops (Head: Miroslav Hýbl, Ph.D.; email: miroslav.hybl@nullcarc.cz)
- Plant physiology and cryobiology (Head: Alois Bilavčík, Ph.D.; email: alois.bilavcik@nullcarc.cz)
- Stress biology and biotechnology in breeding (Head: Miroslav Klíma, Ph.D.; email: miroslav.klima@nullcarc.cz)
- Genetics and breeding methods (Head: Jana Chrpová, CSc.; email: jana.chrpova@nullcarc.cz)
- Quality of plant products (Head: Václav Dvořáček, Ph.D.; email: vaclav.dvoracek@nullcarc.cz)
- Molecular genetics (Head: Pavel Svoboda, Ph.D.; email: pavel.svoboda@nullcarc.cz)
Division of Agricultural Engineering
(Head: Jiří Souček, Ph.D.; email: jiri.soucek@nullcarc.cz)
Innovation of technologies for precision agriculture, smart technologies in animal production, renewable energy sources, bioeconomy, waste utilisation.
Research Focus
- Optimisation and modernisation of agricultural machinery for sustainable production
- Energy efficiency and self-sufficiency of agricultural enterprises
- Valorisation of agricultural residues and biogenic waste
- Precision agriculture and smart farming technologies
- Sustainable soil management and protection technologies
- Environmental and emission assessment of agricultural technologies
- Integration of renewable energy and circular bioeconomy in agriculture
- Robotic and automated systems for crop and livestock management
Research teams
- Agricultural engineering and technology (Head: Daniel Vejchar, MSc.; email: daniel.vejchar@nullcarc.cz)
- Agricultural energy systems and bioeconomy (Head: Radek Pražan, Ph.D.; email: radek.prazan@nullcarc.cz)
Division of Food Science and Technology
(Head: Marian Urban, Ph.D.; email: marian.urban@nullcarc.cz)
Research and development in the field of food chemistry and biochemistry, microbiology, food engineering, processing procedures and human nutrition.
Research Focus
- Development of safe and functional foods
- Innovative food processing technologies
- Analytical methods for food quality and safety
- Fermentation biotechnology for food and feed applications
- Nutritional quality enhancement through food reformulation
- Exploitation of plant-based and alternative protein sources
- Food authentication and dna-based traceability
- Nanotechnology and bioengineering in food systems
- Sensory and consumer-oriented food research
Research team
- Food and Biochemical Technology (Head: Ivana Laknerová, MSc.; email: ivana.laknerova@nullcarc.cz)
CARC Results and contributions
CARC data from Web of Science:
Total publications: 3223
Times cited: 57 264
H-index: 93
Subject area of the publications (number): Agromony (816), Plant Science (812), Food Science and Technology (364), Entomology (351), Agriculture multidisciplinary (238), Microbiology (166), Biotechnology Applied Microbiology (165), Horticulture (151), Ecology (148) and Environmental Sciences (142).
Applied Research Results for 2024
