Botanical garden
729The Botanical Garden of Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov was established in 1929 and is located west of Ashgabat. The botanical garden has an area of 18.5 hectares, of which 12 hectares are occupied by dendraries (trees and shrubs). The research of the garden is related to the main tasks of the world botanical gardens, the introduction of plants, i.e. the introduction of plants to new conditions. Since its inception (1929), the botanical garden staff has selected a variety of plants from all over the globe that have been adapted to local conditions. The introduction and first experimental work of trees and shrubs began in 1936 under the direction of the well-known dendrologist K.V.Blinowski within the scope of the Botanical Garden. The first botanical collection that formed the basis of the botanical garden was created with his work. He has also done a great job in the study of the species composition of woody plants in Turkmenistan.
The collection of garden and shrubbery trees is located in the fields according to the ecological geographical basis. In 8 geographical areas of the garden, plants of various natural climatic zones grow (East Asia, Central Asia, Asia Minor, Crimea, the Caucasus, Europe, the Mediterranean, North America).
The North American geographical area includes a number of species and forms that range from the Atlantic coast of North America, the high plains, and the Gulf coast of Mexico to the southern regions of Canada.
The Eurasian-Caucasian dendroflora is the largest area of flora in the Earth, most of which is located in the CIS regions. The Central Asian collection contains several species and forms of Iranian-Turan native shrubs and shrubs. The flora of this area is characterized by higher endemicity of species (growing in a particular flora zone).
The phenological control of plants is carried out by transferring phenoblastic data related to the rate of seasonal growth of plants and transferring them to a phenological journal. In order to enrich the collection of plants in the geographical areas of Dendropark, new species of plants are being planted regularly.
The rich test base, created in the botanical garden, reveals the characteristics, necessary for plant development, such as its relation to high summer temperatures, dry weather, cold resistance, late spring frost, salinity, and other environmental factors. Thus, it contributes to the widespread development of plants, belonging to individual and complex clans, as well as determines the possibility of successful cultivation of plants imported from the conditions of Turkmenistan and other natural conditions. Currently, the study of the Chilopsis, Sumah, and Melia seed complexes allows us to fully study their biology, ecology and other areas of development, and to adapt species that cannot grow locally.
The area of forests, mountain and desert vegetation displayed in the area of the local flora is 4.5 hectares, where (aboriginal) species and forms belonging to the local flora of Turkmenistan grow. The collection also shows valuable, rare, endangered and endemic plants of great interest in foreign botanical gardens.
The task of the Botanical Garden is to identify rare, endangered, endemic species of the local flora and to introduce them into cultural conditions, to study their bioecological features and to increase the number of roots and to plant them back to their first natural endangered areas.
In this regard, a number of rare, endemic and endangered plants imported from the local flora of Turkmenistan have been adapted to the conditions of the garden and included in the cultural conditions. Several species of them: Turkmen selmelegi-mandragora, species of tulips and onions, alvan, iris, Turkmen and Balkan wormwood are grown in the local flora.
The seeds of the Turkmen mandragora (Mandragora turcomanica), a relict plant, which is included in the Red Book, have been well sprouted and successfully grown.
The collection, composed of tropical and subtropical plants of the garden greenhouse, collects plant species, varieties and forms of tropical-subtropical flora. The plants in the greenhouse are arranged on a generally accepted ecological-geographical basis: the tropical section, the subtropical section, and the succulent section. Each section contains plants from one geographical area.
The scientists of the Botanical Garden started researching the cultivation of palm trees in accordance with the open soil conditions of Turkmenistan in 1935 at the Gyzyl Etrek (now Etrek) experimental station in the southwestern Balkan province of the country. It is considered to be the only place in the Commonwealth of Independent States where palm trees bear fruit in open ground, in cold, unprotected conditions. The adaptation attempts of 15 species of the Palm family were started in 1962 in the Botanical Garden by A.G. Kozlova. Palm research is still underway.
In the open field of floriculture, experimental work on species of plants growing in different geographical zones is carried out on a regular basis.
A rich collection of roses, which belongs to the group of roses, has been collected in the exhibition grounds of roses. Tea-hybrid, Polyand, and Floribunda groups are more widely represented here. Varieties that are characterized by a stable and longer flowering period are local to the local ecological conditions from the soil-growing group.
Garden greenhouses are engaged in growing seedlings of plants and propagating them in various ways. Seedlings of cultivated ornamental gardens, seedlings of flowering plants are planted in experimental and ornamental grounds inside the Botanical Garden and used to beautify the garden-related boundaries. Currently, the department is conducting research on the topic of the development of several types of ornamental plants on a scientific basis. In addition to studying plants belonging to local and other flora, the Botanical Garden serves as an educational institution, as well as a source of modern plant and ecological views of the population. Tours are organized for tourists, teachers, students, and schoolchildren in the garden. The city's ornamental experts are given tips and suggestions on the features of each orchard.
Since its transfer to the Turkmen Agricultural University, in 2019, repairs made to the trails, ponds, office buildings and greenhouses of The Botanical Garden the garden have been repaired with the help of the university. It has been renovated with landscaping within the botanical garden.
The decoration of the ornamental plants in the geographical areas of the garden was carried out and arranged. Nowadays, recreational activities have also been carried out for the tourists visiting the Garden, which has become a haven for gardeners. Students of the Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov, Agriçultural Secondary Vocational School in Ashgabat undergo a production internship in the Botanical Garden. During the internship, the Botanic Gardens are thoroughly acquainted with the departments, tasks, goals, and activities of the departments. In the sections, they get acquainted with the research carried out on the ornamental plants of the local and other flora and collect detailed information on the biological characteristics and adaptive properties of the ornamental plants.
During the internship, students also take part in research work and carry out agrotechnical activities from time to time. They get acquainted (gain, obtain) with present-day techniques that came from Tropical and Subtropical Plants in the Greenhouse, orchards in the collection of the garden according to the ecological and geographical rules, the conditions of the natural extinct area, their placement by family, their care for the biological characteristics of each plant, and their performance, collect the information they need.
Activities with students are important in training experienced professionals in the future.
Sections “Bank of Biological Control and Seeds”, “Dendrology”.
Scientific Objectives: To study, conserve, collect and use biodiversity of plants; conservation of the flora of the world flora in the collection and exposition, use of the botanical garden plant collection, adapted to the conditions of the local flora and enriched with cultured species in the expansion of intellectual and cultural activities
Fields of research: The Botanical Garden forms the basis of a plant biodiversity conservation system. The main areas of research in the botanical garden are studying the adaptive potential of plants of local and other natural flora and developing them, developing methods of reproduction, decorating the cultural flora in gardening, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and food industries.
256 species are cared in the Department of Biological Control and Seed Bank, 247 species in the Dendrology Department, and a total of 503 species.