The history of the Tobacco Institute of Bergerac is closely related to the one of tobacco in France. Since its installation in the heart of the main tobacco area of the country in 1927, the Institute has emerged little by little as a real center of resources close to the growers: to fight against parasites (wireworm, etc...) or viruses, to adapt tobacco to the consumer taste (acclimatization of blond tobacco), or to create new varieties.

1923 The project to create in France a Research center on tobacco is adopted. The site is selected, in the heart of the main tobacco area of France (tobacco is cultivated there since the XVI^th century!): an old powder mill, unused since the end of war, that the Ministry of War yielded to Seita.

1927 The Research center is officially created under the responsibility of Prosper Gisquet who then became Director in 1933.

1928 Creation of a botanical garden which enriched itself little by little. Constituted from collections, of new varieties created in the center, or gifts, it occupies 2 hectares today and is composed of more than 1100 varieties of Nicotiana.

1939 Obtention of a hybrid stabilized in new species. It is the first result of the genetic research undertaken by the Institute which will make it possible to adapt the varieties to the constraints of growing, environment or health: tobaccos resistant to diseases, tobaccos with low nicotine content, etc...

1939 - 1944 Construction of the laboratories of biology and chemistry, as well as the first fermentation chamber.

1956 First tests of growing of tobaccos under fabric to produce wrapper leaves, this technique will then be established in the South-east in 1958.

1957 Tests of Burley growing for American blend.

1958 A first greenhouse allows the production of young seedlings during the whole year.

1960 Blue mold strikes the cultivations of tobacco in France. The Institute intensifies its research related to this problem.

1962 Development of the "cotyledon test" which allows to know at an early stage of seed development what will be the future resistance of the plant.

1968 Availability for the French growers of the first blue mold resistant varieties of tobacco: PB D6 (dark air-cured tobacco) and BB 16 (Burley tobacco).

1970 Creation of an analysis laboratory for pesticide residues.

1975 Creation and study of the first varieties of tobacco with low alkaloid rate: L.A.P whose nicotine content is lower than 0.1%.

1981 - 1986 Within the framework of the AGRIMED program, study of production by the tobacco of RuBisCO or F1 protein.

1987 In collaboration with Rhône-Poulenc Agro., and Plant Genetic Systems, first trials in field of genetically modified tobaccos in France .

1988 First variety of Flue-cured tobacco created in the Institute: ITB 30.

1989 Obtaining the first patent for a male-sterile F1 hybrid variety: ITB 1000 (dark air-cured tobacco).

1992 Inauguration of the new laboratories of cellular biology and confined greenhouses, showing the will of Seita to increase its potential of research in biotechnologies.

Recognition of the Nicotiana collection like national specialized collection by the CCVS.

1993 Industrial development of the variety ITB 3304, male-sterile F1 hybrid sterile male F1, having resistances to the black root rot (C. elegans), and to the necrotic virus Y of potato (PVYn).

1994 Obtaining the first European authorization of marketing for a genetically modified plant, the variety of tobacco ITB 1000 OX (herbicide resistant).

1996 - 2000 The ITB coordinates European partners in two projects sponsored by the European Union (reducing of nitrogen and nitrates on Burley and reducing of the use of pesticid products) and takes part in the third adopted project (good practicing on Flue-cured tobaccos).

1997 Approval BPE of the Tobacco Institute for the official recognition of experimentation for the evaluation of pesticids products on tobacco.

Approval of the laboratories and greenhouses by the Genetic Engineering Commission (CGG) for use of recombinant organisms.

2001 Renewal of the Scientific Group of Interest (GIS) INRA/Seita/ARN.

2002 Patents concerning production of mite and graminaceous allergens in tobacco (collaboration with the Dutch Red Cross, Stallergène and CNRS Rouen).

2003 5^th Tobacco Scientific Meeting of Bergerac "Results of the E.U.projects, pesticide residus and the tobacco genome ".

Beginning of a program for the improvement of the Moroccan production of tobacco within the framework of an agreement between the "Régie des Tabacs du Maroc" (RMT) and the Moroccan Ministry for agriculture.

2004 Installation of the tobacco pole research-experimentation-formation on the site of the "Domaine de la Tour". Installation of the ANITTA (National Interprofessional and Technical Tobacco Association).

2005 Installation of the experimental station of the cooperative Périgord Tabac on the site completing the Tobacco pole.

6^th Tobacco Scientific Meeting of Bergerac "10 years results of European cooperation for the improvement of tobacco quality".

2006 The Tobacco Institute of Bergerac receives ISO 14001 Certification

First genetic map of Nicotiana tabacum.

Release by ITB and ATC Cambridge Ltd. of 46 546 sequences of tobacco genes in EMBL and Genbank databases.

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