At the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology of the University of South Bohemia, a professional workshop entitled “Soybean – A Crop for Czech Fields” took place on Thursday, 26 February. The event was organised within the framework of the Interreg TASTE project (Technological Adaptation for Sustainable Transformation of the Agri-Food Ecosystem in the Upper Austrian–South Bohemian–Vysočina Border Region), which focuses on innovation in crop production and the sustainable transformation of the agri-food sector.
The project focuses on two key pilot areas: soybean cultivation as a model crop for implementing precision agriculture principles, and agrivoltaics as an innovative approach that combines agricultural production with renewable energy generation.
The professional programme presented the results of long-term experimental trials conducted at the Faculty, introduced by Associate Professor Jan Bárta. He was followed by Associate Professor Veronika Bártová, who presented the results of soybean field trials in the South Bohemian region in 2025. Radim Kuneš discussed the potential of modern technologies in crop production.
Experience with soybean production in the Vysočina region using irrigation technologies and photovoltaic systems was presented by Pavel Kasal from the Potato Research Institute in Havlíčkův Brod. The programme also included presentations on soybean varieties (Jan Šrámek, Saatbau Czech Republic Ltd.) and on possible soybean diseases and pests (Tomáš Tonka).
Representatives of ZS Dynín a.s. provided a practical perspective from the agricultural sector, sharing their experience of soybean production, purchasing and processing.
The workshop was attended by 53 participants, including students and professionals. The subsequent discussion confirmed growing interest in soybean cultivation, even in regions of the Czech Republic where this crop has not traditionally been grown.