Profesor Josef Graman has passed away

It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce the passing of Prof. Ing. Josef Graman, CSc., at the age of 89 on Monday 2 January 2023 due to a long severe illness.

Prof. Ing. Josef Graman, CSc.

1933-2023

Prof. Graman worked at the Department of Plant Production and the Department of Forage Production since 1962 and throughout his time at the Faculty of Agriculture, he was involved in problems of genetics, plant breeding and seed science. He received his habilitation in the field of Genetics and Plant Breeding in 1981 and was appointed Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding by the President of the Republic in 1991. Since 1985, he headed the specialisation ‘Genetic Engineering and Plant Breeding’, which at the time represented a unique link between university departments and the Academy of Sciences. After the reorganisation of scientific training and the accreditation of doctoral studies, he was the chairman of the Field Board of Special Crop Production and the supervisor of a number of doctoral students from 1991. In 1990–1992 he was head of the Department of Forage Production. Professor Graman was also the founder of the University of South Bohemia and in 1993–1998 he was Vice-Rector for Teaching.

He was also a prominent figure in the field of scientific research, he cooperated for a long time with a number of plant breeding departments, as well as with domestic and foreign universities and research institutes, and his research focused on biology, genetics and breeding of new types of forage crops and their use in higher altitudes. Another major area of his research focus was on oilseed crop breeding and the introduction of advanced plant biotechnology methods into rapeseed breeding.

He has published numerous scientific papers, technical articles, university scripts and textbooks.

text: prof. Ing. Vladislav Čurn, Ph.D.