Purposes and structure

The Sericulture and Agriculture Experiment Station in Vratsa(SАES) is a R & D enterprise in the Bulgarian Agricultural academy – Sofia structure. It is only one centre in Bulgaria for complex research and scientific-applied investigations in the following fields of Sericulture:

• Mulberry selection, propagation, agrotechnics and exploitation;
• Silkworm genetics and selection;
• Silkworm breeding and egg production;
• Silkworm rearing, diseases and pests control and cocoon processing.

One of the richest in the world and the biggest in Europe genetic resources in Mulberry (Morus Spp.) and silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) are maintained in SES-Vratza.

Mulberry genetic resources come up to 140 separate varieties from local origin and introduced from different countries (Italy, Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan, China, Japan, Azerbaijan, etc.)

Silkworm gene bank comes up to 260 local and introduced strains and lines with different genetic and geographic origin (Austria, Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Egypt, Madagascar, Vietnam, North and South Korea, China, Japan, etc.)

SAES-Vratza is an enterprise for scientific researches, extension services and trade in sericulture.

The Station realizes its activity in the frame of Government Agrarian Polices as follows:

• Organize and realize research activity – basic and scientific-applied investigations and connected with them activities in the field of sericulture;
• Participate in international cooperation through projects, implemented by cooperative research teams and concluding agreements with EU, FAO, BASCA, Research Institutes and Stations, Universities, Private Groups, etc. on bilateral and multilateral basis;
• Takes part with its personnel and research potential in development of national and other prognosis, programs, strategies, conceptions and plans for social-economic development of sericulture, assigned by Agricultural academy, Ministry of Agriculture etc. and by agreements with third parties;
• Cooperation with Research - Educative and other organizations in Bulgaria and abroad, international organizations, etc.;
• Accomplishment of informational and publishing activity for popularizing the results from its research activity and achievements of the World science in the field of Sericulture;
• Has patent-rights for the achievements from its research activity;
• Collects, processes and preserves the results from scientific investigations;
• Produce mulberry planting material and silkworm parental and industrial silkworm eggs in accordance to Government decrees in Bulgaria;
• Production activity in connection to accomplished scientific investigations, on durable basis with Government organizations, companies for maximal use of laboratory and production basis;
• Accomplishment of other activities in relation to studies and introducing of the results obtained;

For realization of its main subjects of activity SAES Vratza possesses with contemporary necessary equipment, which consists of 7 massive two or three-floor buildings, 40 independent rooms, laboratories, rearing houses with total unfolded area of 6395 m2 for conducting of different kind of investigations and also 20 ha mulberry plantations with high yielding local and introduced mulberry varieties (Vratza 1, Vratza18, Kinriu, Kokuso 21, Kokuso 27, etc.)

In the station’s structure there is only one in Bulgaria unit for producing of initial parental P3, P2 and P1 pure line eggs as well as F1 hybrid industrial silkworm eggs.

The SAES has manufacture for producing of small caliber silkworm rearing equipment such as coated with emulsion paper bags for silkworm moth egg lying, perforated paper for bed cleaning and high quality cardboard frames mountages, “Japanese type” which capacity is able fully to satisfy the cocoon producers needs in the country and for export as well.

The station has an unit for production 100 % mulberry leaf powder, mulberry tea and silkworm artificial diet (chow/food).

There is manufacture for silk reeling and processing and production of ready silk knitted items.

The station’s mother mulberry plantations, planted with highly productive, authorized and divided into practice mulberry varieties, like Vratza 1, Vesletz, Vratza 18, Kinriu, Kokuso 21, Kokuso 27, etc. are able to produce more than 500 000 mulberry cuttings for satisfaction Bulgarian nurseries’ needs as well as for own sapling production. The Station possesses own installations for producing more than 100 000 rooted mulberry hardwood cuttings annually.

A Specialized group for extension service is functioning in the Station, which offers the following forms for integration between scientific investigations and practice:

• Development of business projects of module farms for cocoon production, including combined with other agricultural production;
• Projects for establishment of new and reconstruction of old mulberry plantations and buildings for cocoon production;
• High quality P1 and F1 silkworm eggs from high yielding and authorized by the Bulgarian Government and divided into practice silkworm hybrids;
• Rooted and unrooted mulberry cuttings and saplings of high yielding indigenous and introduced mulberry varieties;
• Silkworm artificial diet for larval rearing all the year round;
• High quality cardboard frame mountages, perforated paper, disinfectants and manuals for sericulturists;
• Development of programs, strategies, conceptions and prognosis for Sericulture development;
• Development of normative documents in the field of Sericulture (standards, regulations, instructions, etc.);
• Training courses in the field of Sericulture;
• Consultations in all the fields of Sericultural science and practice.
• The budget of SES-Vratza is formed by incomes from research and technical projects, implemented through contracts with the Agricultural academy, Ministry of Education and Sciences and other national/international organizations and programs, incomes from scientific products realization, different business activities in sericulture and silk textile etc.