Recipient of the Jesenko Lifetime Achievement Award: Prof. Dr. Zlata Luthar

On March 13, 2026, Prof. Dr. Zlata Luthar, full professor of genetics at the Biotechnical Faculty. University of Ljubljana, received the Jesenko Lifetime Achievement Award.

On this occasion, her colleagues and friends prepared an article on her life’s work in the fields of education and research. Prof. Dr. Zlata Luthar earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the UL BF, University of Ljubljana.

Her scientific work is closely linked to research in plant genetics, plant breeding, and plant biotechnology. In her doctoral dissertation, she studied the content and distribution of tannins in buckwheat seeds, and later made significant contributions to understanding their synthesis, the influence of temperature, and their distribution during seed developmental stages. She was a pioneer in the field of genetic transformation of agricultural plants in Slovenia. She researched the transformation of tobacco, buckwheat, onion, hops, potatoes, and barley, and significantly improved regeneration protocols under in vitro conditions, which is crucial for the successful establishment of transformation procedures.

A special place in her work is occupied by the conservation of Slovenian agricultural plant genetic resources.
 

For more than 30 years, she has been active in the field of collecting, evaluating, and conserving plant genetic resources, and serves as the coordinator of the Slovenian Plant Gene Bank — the collection of agricultural plants at the Faculty of Biotechnology. She has contributed to the official recognition and registration of numerous indigenous and traditional varieties in the Republic of Slovenia’s variety list, including varieties of buckwheat, millet, flax, and lettuce.

In addition to her research work, she is also exceptionally active in the field of education. She has supervised numerous bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses and has made a significant contribution to the development of young researchers. Her work is directly linked to the legacy of Fran Jesenko and has significantly shaped the development of agronomy and plant genetics in Slovenia.