NEWS

Pomegranate tree in horticulture and wildlife

In the Middle Ages, travellers who set on a journey along long caravan routes across the desert took with them dates as food and quenched their thirst with pomegranate fruits, the properties of which were described by the chroniclers of Ancient Greece long before Ancient Rome was founded. Pomegranate is one of the oldest edible fruit known to the world, the tree is mentioned in sacred scriptures and considered a symbol of beauty and fertility, and its various parts were used for tanning leather and dyeing wool yarn and silk fabric. Today, in addition to horticulture, this species serves as an effective plant material for reforestation of flooded lands, consolidation of mountain slopes and river banks, and it is an excellent decorative element for any garden thanks to its attractive flowers and fruits. Currently, pomegranates in horticulture are found almost throughout the country, it is difficult to find a garden without this tree. In Turkmenistan, pomegranate farming is closely linked to the nature and culture of the inhabitants of the foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains, the hilly and mountainous territories of the Ahal oasis and the hilly subtropics of the Balkan velayat, where wild thickets of this plant have been preserved. Wild nar (pomegranate) can be found along the banks of the Sumbar River and the Chendyr River and in the valleys of the gorges Yoldere and Aydere and i

21 April 2023

Ecology

The Miracle of the Kopetdag Spring

High in the mountains, where spring comes late, the magical time, hidden from human eyes, continues and fascinates with the swiftness of the change in the variety of flowering herbaceous plants. This most wonderful period absorbed precious moments of vegetation of rare and endemic plants into short three or four weeks. The flowering parade of botanical rarities of the Kopetdag Mountains will flash by like a fast flowing mountain stream. First flowers – the heralds of spring – begin to open their petals on the hills of the foothills long before the onset of calendar spring, as if according to schedule, despite the ups and downs of the weather, sometimes they peep out from under the non-melted snow, therefore they are popularly called snowdrops. They symbolise the start of a new round of the annual cycle of nature and therefore deserve careful and caring attitude. It is the Merendera robusta that appears first: its flowers, pressed to the wet ground, look like large snowflakes or drops of milk and exude a subtle delicate aroma. In early spring, in the upper horizon of the mountains on the steep cliffs of the peaks, a rare plant awakens to life – a dense green “cushion” of the Dionysia tapetodes with a height of up to 20 cm. This is an amazing miracle of nature living on stones. Shortened shoots of the plant with inflorescences were laid already in the aut

14 April 2023

Ecology

Inhabitants of Karakum Lakes

According to one of the versions, the Karakum Desert “begins its lineage” from the ancient dried up Aral-Caspian Sea as part of the prehistoric Tethys Ocean, representing the seabed in the distant geological past. The second, river version, which many modern scientists follow after Academician V. A. Obruchev, says the Turan desert was built by the rivers that carried its debris from the southern mountain ranges, washed the soil, changing the course and forming a huge mass of sands. In any case, older marine sediments are buried under the river sands. Depressions, sinkholes, soil structural discontinuities and karst voids can be found in this multi-layered sandy ocean. All these sights together can be called a unique landscape monument. For example, the Sarykamysh depression and drainless Archakay depression located below the ocean level have become a well-known natural phenomenon like the deep Darvaza gas crater. For wildlife lovers, an unexpected discovery will be a trip to another depression located northwest of the Zengibaba chink. It is filled with weakly brackish drainage water coming from the Shasenem agricultural massif through the Malyab bypass canal, forming a chain of large and small lakes 15 kilometres long joined by channels.

31 March 2023

Ecology

3 million trees to be planted in Turkmenistan in 2023

«7/24. tm», № 10 (145), 06.03.2023 In 2023, it is planned to plant 3 million seedlings of trees and grapes in Turkmenistan. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed the relevant Resolution as part of the implementation of the National Forestry Programme for 2021-2025.

5 March 2023

Ecology

Developing “Green” Energy

The main aspects of the state policy, pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, are to ensure high economic growth rates through the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, to create favourable conditions for the people and contribute to international efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Turkmenistan adopted the programme of digital transformation of science in 2020–2025 that sets the tasks of ensuring the integrity of science and education and the specificity and effectiveness of innovative projects developed in the country for the national economy. In this regard, tremendous attention is paid to training specialists who are able to develop science-intensive areas of applied research, to link an innovative idea with its practical application and to apply various modern technologies and methods in a useful way. For this purpose, the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan trains specialists who are familiar with innovative technologies, purposeful and broad-minded, and this is intended to increase the number and diversify the areas of research activities, to improve their efficiency and to raise the necessity in them for the state and society. The joint use of research capacities of higher educational institutions, their interaction and the creation of favourable conditions for young researchers remain the focus of attention.

3 February 2023

Ecology

Underwater garage for 7,000 bicycles built in Amsterdam

«7/24. tm», № 05 (140), 30.01.2023 An engineering marvel has appeared in Amsterdam near the central station - a unique underwater garage for 7,000 bicycles. On January 26, the official opening of the structure, located directly under the city’s canals and pleasure boats, will take place, writes The Guardian.

29 January 2023

Ecology

Olive in Fruit Growing and Landscaping

In the modern scientific classification, the olive as a botanical genus unites 80 species that grow in the countries with a subtropical climate, where this plant performs the function of an ameliorant for terraced mountain slopes, protecting them from erosion and landslides with its dense and branched root system. Despite a variety of species, only European olive is cultivated, 25 species are used in industrial production – table, oilseed and universal ones. In Turkmenistan, the fruit form is widely introduced in the town of Turkmenbashi, the Esenguly and Magtymguly etraps and other places where a subtropical climate prevails. The first olive plantations in those places were planted in the late 1930s on the initiative of the Academician Vavilov. Now, the trees are planted in the private garden sector of the capital and its suburbs, perhaps there are such plantings in other places, because industrious hands can grow the most exotic crops in the fertile Turkmen land – from black pepper and banana to papaya. Walnut, cherry and persimmon trees can grow and bear fruit in our climatic conditions, then why not try the olive tree – one of the oldest evergreen fruit crops?

23 December 2022

Ecology

Landscaping and Improvement of the Turkmen Land – Care of Improving Living Standards of the People

The mass tree planting action organised in the new modern administrative centre of the Ahal velayat was held with the participation of the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, Honorary Elder Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who was also interested in the state of construction work being carried out there. The event marking the beginning of the autumn season of the greening campaign was attended by the leaders of the new centre, builders, honorary elders and youth. A representative of the younger generation addressed Arkadag with a request to start the autumn season of mass tree planting in the territory of the new centre of the Ahal velayat.

11 November 2022

Ecology

Pisa encourages cycling

«Türkmenistan Sport», № 3 (15), 2022 ustainability and environmental friendliness deserve an award. So decided in Pisa, where the GoodGo application is launched, encouraging the use of «soft» transport. It will plan your route, calculate the emissions and calories burned and issue a discount coupon on purchases at a partner shop, based on the number of kilometres you have travelled.

9 October 2022

Ecology

Water resources of the planet

Water supply of cities and villages is one of the priorities of the socioeconomic policy of the Turkmen state. The issues of water use and ecology have become significant not only for our country, but for humankind as a whole. Today, in the context of climate change and the increase in the annual need of agriculture for water resources around the world, there is a vital need for the rational use of water and respect for it and environment protection.  Crucial purpose

29 July 2022

Ecology