The MENDELU Experimental Field Station in Žabčice is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding this year. Established in 1926 as a facility for research and hands-on instruction for students in agricultural fields, the station has become, over the course of a century, a major center for agricultural research, experimental work, and the application of knowledge in practice.
The decision to establish an independent Experimental Field station in Žabčice was made in 1926. The administration of the Agricultural University in Brno (the former name of Mendel University in Brno) at the time recognized that providing a high-quality education for future agronomists and advancing scientific research required dedicated facilities for field experiments and practical instruction. From the very beginning, the site was intended to continue commercial production while also serving as a base for research and demonstration activities.
In the 1930s, variety and agrotechnical experiments focused on major agricultural crops were intensively developed in Žabčice. These activities also included extensive state variety trials. Special attention was given to tobacco, for which a cultivation technology was developed and tested in practice, encompassing the pre-cultivation of plants in hotbeds, field planting, care during the growing season, and harvesting—including the processing, fermentation, and drying of the leaves.
The station also experienced significant development after World War II. In response to the mechanization of agriculture and the advent of modern technologies, long-term experiments were established here focusing on crop rotation, soil preparation, fertilization, and straw management. For example, an experiment with spring barley monoculture, established in 1970, continues to this day and is one of the longest-running experiments of its kind in the Czech Republic.
In recent decades, the Experimental Field Station in Žabčice has become an important hub for collaboration between the university, research organizations, and private companies. Field days are held here annually; after 1989, these gradually evolved into presentation events for the professional community, featuring demonstrations of field experiments with various focuses. In 2010, the traditional June field day was renamed MendelAgro, and a September field day focused on corn, sorghum, and sunflowers was introduced; since 2021, this event has been held under the name MendelSun. This year, it will take place on Friday, September 11.
The station also keeps pace with current trends in agriculture. Researchers here use modern experimental equipment and focus on topics such as precision agriculture, crop nutrition and fertilization, plant health issues, variety trials, and other agrotechnical measures in conventional, organic, and regenerative agriculture under conditions of climate change.
Currently, staff from four institutes of the Faculty of Agriculture at MENDELU are involved in the station’s activities. In addition to scientific projects and contract research, the station also serves as a base for student projects, professional internships, and hands-on instruction.