Skip to main content

Hulless barley variety ‘Kornelija’ – high-quality wholegrain raw material for development of niche and functional products

kornelija

Funding: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Measure 1.2.1. Specific support goal "To Increase the Private Sector Investments R&D"; measure 1.2.1.2. "Support for Improvement of Technology Transfer System" 
Project No.: KC-PI-2017/43
Project 1st period: 1st March 2018 – 27th July 2018
Project 2nd period: 1st October 2018 - 31 December 2020
Principle Investigator: Dr.agr. M. Bleidere

The “7-step strategy” has been developed for the commercialisation of hulless barley ‘Kornelija’.

Project 1st period
Developing the technical economic feasibility study/TEFS and the commercialization strategy 
An in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the technology was started at the beginning of 2018 in order to determine its commercialization opportunities. An assessment and analysis of the potential of the commercializable technology has been carried in order to objectively and rationally identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the technology, as well as determine the resources necessary for its implementation. Based on the results of the technical and economic feasibility study, the commercialization strategy and the plan for the implementation of the commercialization strategy have been developed. The commercialization strategy provides an assessment of the market potential of the technology and illustrates successive steps for developing the technology from concept to market introduction, and having compared the possible alternatives, the strategy for the commercialization of the technology has been selected.

Project 2nd period
Strengthening and maintaining the protection of the plant breeders’ rights 

The basic strategy selected for the commercialization of the technology is the granting of the rights to use the industrial property to third parties (entering into licence agreements). The protection of the variety’s breeder’s rights is an essential condition for a successful implementation of this strategy option so that the plant breeder would be eligible for consideration for the further use of the protected variety. 
To protect the variety’s breeder’s rights, the protection of the variety’s breeder’s rights ‘Kornelija’ will be strengthened and maintained in prospective target countries, i.e., at least five countries selected as a result of the TEFS market analysis.

Carrying out field experiments to develop and test the technology
The purpose of this activity is to acquire new knowledge and develop the technology, specifying the agricultural and technical measures aimed at ensuring the optimal yield, better grain quality and minimising the risks related to the growing of the hulless barely variety ‘Kornelija’, balancing them off with production costs (seeding rate, fertilizer rate, fertilization mode). The results of the field experiments will enable improving the knowledge of the variety and develop guidelines for farmers for the technology of growing ‘Kornelija’ that contributes to the optimal yields and high quality grain both in conventional and organic growing conditions. They will also enable finding answers to the questions which in the previous communication were highlighted by farmers as such that affect the decision-making.

Carrying out industrial research for transferring the technology to grain farming in practical production conditions
The purpose of this activity is to acquire new knowledge about transferring the commercializable technology and behaviour in practical production conditions. 
Within the scope of industrial research ‘Kornelija’ seeds would be grown in practical agricultural production conditions in seed production farms.
The research will yield data on the quality of seeds, yields, breakdown of the costs of technological elements, paying serious attention to the technical solutions of harvesting. Various harvesting techniques will be assessed to study the most efficient method for harvesting ‘Kornelija’ seeds aimed at obtaining optimal yields and ensuring a high seed germination rate.
As a result, arguments for promoting the variety on the market, as well as guidelines for seed farmers on the technology for growing and harvesting the seeds of ‘Kornelija’ will be developed.

Studying the properties of grain raw material/end products and optimising the technological process of processing
Within the scope of this activity, in cooperation with the grain processing and food manufacturing companies industrial research as well as experimental development of the prototypes of new products will be carried out to verify the suitability of ‘Kornelija’ for various technological processes and opportunities in the development of new products. 
As a result of the research and experimental development carried out arguments for creating market pull in the food industry would be prepared, and companies that will take part in the study will have ascertained the advantages of the technology and the opportunities of using the raw material for the production of existing as well as new products.

Preparing the commercialization offer and promoting it in priority markets
The purpose of this activity is to create demand pull, presenting the new technology to the market. 
The activity would be based on the work of the professionals of the B2B team of the project with seed farming and agricultural companies as the prospective plant breeder’s rights (on the basis of the licence agreement), as well as with food companies familiarising them with “Kornelija’ grain as high quality raw materials for the production of functional products. 
The selected underlying strategy to commercialize 'Kornelija’ on the European market would be the granting of the plant breeder’s right, entering into licence agreements with greed companies and agricultural businesses. Whereas the commercialization strategy to acquire the US and Canadian market would be the disposal of the plant breeder’s rights.

Transferring the plant breeder’s rights
This is the closing activity of the implementation of the commercialization strategy of ‘Kornelija’. It is envisaged that in the first year after completion of the implementation of the commercialization strategy, licence agreements would be entered into and seed material for sowing 100ha, i.e., for further production of seeds and grain. The results of the activities related to entering the US and Canadian markets (the transactions aimed at selling the plant breeder's rights) are expected to take place in 2023.


lv