Horticultural research activity began in Ștefănești – Argeș in 1959 within the Ștefănești Horticultural-Viticultural Experimental Station. The research-development-innovation activity is continued today by the NATIONAL RESEARCH – DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY IN HORTICULTURE ȘTEFĂNEȘTI-ARGEȘ, an institution that carries out strategic, fundamental and applied research activities in the horticultural biotechnologies field, including molecular biology research, in vitro clonal propagation, as well as genetic improvement using in vitro techniques, being the only institution providing virus-free grapevine propagation material.

Research activity is carried out in 5 laboratories, within the Fitotronic Complex, 4 laboratories: Biotechnologies in Horticulture, Genetics and Breeding of Horticultural Species, Ecology and Multiplication of Horticultural Species, Technologies – Plant Protection – Virology in Horticulture and the Oenology-Postharvest Laboratory within the Winemaking Complex.