Associate Professor Atanas Blagov from the Institute for Agriculture in the town of Kyustendil is the Bulgarian, who received the title national counselor on orcharding by the state of China. The expert in apple-growing and selection of fruit species says that due to the similar climate conditions in Bulgaria and many Chinese provinces, Bulgarian varieties of cherries, apples and pears are already grown in the latter. Mr. Blagov is the person that shares his experience with the Chinese experts in the area of the selection and creation of new apple varieties.

This cooperation kicked-off at a conference, held in the Chinese town of Yantai in 2001, when the Bulgarian scientist presented in three scientific reports his experience in the creation of 6 apple varieties. He was invited again in Yantai the next year, which turned into a lasting trend. “We developed a scientific project end-2010, supported by the Chinese government,” Blagov says, “which was related to the improvement of the variety structure of orchards in their country. I have spent in China 9 months each year ever since. We create new apple varieties with my Chinese colleagues through selection and those have better growing qualities,” Mr. Blagov goes on to say, adding that:

“The varieties of apples, created in Bulgaria remain our intellectual property, no matter that those were created under a cooperation program with China. The same applies to the Chinese varieties. We own the patent and a person, willing to grow those should pay a fee first and will get the right to act. Thus the varieties, invented by me in Bulgaria can be grown in the Chinese province of Shandong, where the climate is nearly the same.”

Bulgarian cherries have been grown in China for a long time and the local market is familiar with those. Experts from the Institute for Agriculture took grafts from 7 Bulgarian cherry varieties in China during their visit back in 1999, along with other cherry varieties from the institute’s collection. Many of these varieties are now grown on a large scale in China, together with Bulgarian pear varieties, different from the ones in the Asian countries.

“They show interest towards our pear varieties of Williams, Abbe Fatel, Conference, Priest’s,” Atanas Blagov says. “They are currently trying to adapt and grow those in ecologically clean regions in China – not only in the Shandong province, but also in several other provinces.”

The cooperation between the Bulgarian institute in Kyustendil and the Chinese experts continues. Two persons from the institute shared in September 2012 at an international Yantai-held conference, dedicated to apple varieties their experience in the selection of those. At the same time Chinese scientists will visit Kyustendil as guests this year. Three years ago Associate Professor Atanas Blagov was awarded with a gold medal by the Chinese pm himself for his contribution in the selection of apple varieties.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev