KMETIJSKO GOZDARSKA ZBORNICA SLOVENIJE KMETIJSKO GOZDARSKI ZAVOD MARIBOR

Their core work

The Agricultural and Forestry Institute Maribor is a regional advisory and applied research body under the Slovenian Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry. They provide hands-on technical guidance to farmers on water management, crop fertigation, nutrient retention, and integrated pest management. Their EU project work focuses on translating research findings into practical farm-level solutions, serving as a bridge between scientists and working farms in northeastern Slovenia. They bring real-world field trial capacity and direct farmer networks to international research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2018), the institute focused on practical water efficiency in crop production — irrigation techniques and fertigation, plus protecting drinking water sources from agricultural runoff. From 2020 onward, their scope broadened significantly toward systems-level thinking: catchment-scale nutrient optimization, agroecological transitions, and building farm demonstration networks for sustainable practices. The shift suggests a move from single-issue water management toward integrated sustainable agriculture.

Moving from water-specific technical advice toward whole-farm sustainability — expect them to seek projects combining water, soil, biodiversity, and farmer economics in one framework.

How they like to work

Exclusively a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which fits their profile as a regional advisory institute rather than a research university. Despite their modest project count, they connect to 91 unique partners across 25 countries, indicating they join large, well-established consortia. They are a reliable field-level partner who brings farmer access and regional demonstration capacity rather than leading project design.

Despite only four projects, they have built connections with 91 partners across 25 countries — a result of joining large multi-actor consortia. Their network spans most of the EU, with no obvious geographic concentration beyond their Slovenian base.

What sets them apart

As a public agricultural advisory institute, they offer something most research partners cannot: direct, trusted access to a network of working farmers in Slovenia's diverse agricultural landscape (from lowland crops to hillside viticulture). For consortium builders, they fill the critical "multi-actor" requirement by providing genuine farmer engagement rather than token participation. Their consistent involvement in water-agriculture projects since 2016 makes them a proven partner for field validation in Central/Southeast European farming conditions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• OPTAIN
  Their longest-running and most ambitious project (2020–2026), tackling catchment-scale water and nutrient optimization with multi-objective modeling — a step up from their earlier single-farm focus.
• IPMWORKS
  Their largest single grant (€136,625) and a shift into pest management and agroecology, broadening their profile beyond water management into whole-farm sustainability.