The Botanical Garden of ISU Faculty of Biology and Soil Studies is implementing a promising project to develop agrotechnology for cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants using locally produced periodic flooding hydroponic equipment. Lemon balm is already being successfully grown in the laboratory. Mineral wool is used as a substrate, which is saturated with nutrient solutions containing mineral salts and other necessary components. Scientists are experimenting with the composition and concentrations, striving to optimize the process from an economic point of view. Over five months, the plantation has yielded four harvests, thanks to which visitors of the Botanical Garden can enjoy fragrant tea on themed tours and workshops.
Svetlana Sizykh, Director of ISU Botanical Garden, biologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences:
The laboratory plans to expand the list of crops that can be grown in hydroponic crop system using this type of equipment. Hydroponics as a method of crop production has existed for a long time, but our task now is to develop agrotechnologies for equipment that is produced locally. In addition to aromatic plants, we will also grow some types of medicinal crops.
The “Baikal” Scientific and Educational Center supported the project with a grant of ten million rubles for the purchase of equipment as part of the implementation of the National Project “Science and Universities” for the technological project “Medicinal Crop Cultivation.”
The industrial partner of the project is the Association of Participants of the Industry for the Development of Non-Wood Food and Medicinal Forest Resources “Dikorosi” [Wild Plants], co-financing from its side is three million rubles.
The scientific production association “Ecosfera” [Ecoshpere] from Irkutsk provides its hydroponic equipment so that laboratory staff can develop methods for growing in-demand plants on it. In turn, the created methods will be given to the manufacturer so that they can provide high-quality and reliable instructions with their equipment for buyers.
