A smart nursery complex has been commissioned in Piskent

Smart nursery complex launched into operation in Piskent

Today, in the Piskent district of Tashkent region, a ceremony was held to commission new smart nurseries created within the framework of the project "Greening of forest and urban areas of Tashkent region based on smart technologies." The project is implemented by the Forestry Agency under the Ecology Committee jointly with the representative office of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Uzbekistan.

The opening ceremony of the modern nurseries was attended by Deputy Director of the Forestry Agency Golibjon Kurbonov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Uzbekistan Won Do-yeon, Leader of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Abdushukur Hamzaev, representatives of the Ecology Committee and the Forestry Agency, KOICA experts, representatives of the Piskent district khokimiyat, heads of territorial state forestry enterprises of the region, as well as media representatives.

Opening the event, Deputy Director of the Forestry Agency Golibjon Kurbonov emphasized that in recent years, on the direct initiative of the head of state, large-scale work has been carried out in our country to create new forests and expand green areas.

"It should be noted that recently, in the Guzar district of Kashkadarya region, a modern center for growing planting material began operating, capable of producing millions of high-quality seedlings per year. This year, a smart nursery complex with a total area of 5.5 hectares was also created in Andijan region. These nurseries are designed to bring the nationwide project 'Yashil Makon' ('Green Space') to a new stage of development.

The smart nurseries put into operation today in the Piskent district of Tashkent region are a logical continuation of these noble initiatives."

During the event, a ceremonial unveiling of a memorial stone erected in honor of the creation of the smart nursery complex took place. Guests also planted trees on its territory in memory of this event. Then, the participants got acquainted with the activities of the nurseries and their infrastructure.

It should be noted that the project implemented jointly with KOICA is designed for 2024–2028. Its total cost is 7.7 million US dollars.

The complex is built on the territory of the Dungkurgon plot of the Tashkent State Forestry Enterprise, which specializes in growing planting material. 14 smart greenhouses operate here, and the total area of the complex is 7 hectares. The greenhouses are equipped with automated systems for continuous monitoring of the internal environment, allowing the creation of optimal conditions for growing high-quality planting material adapted to local climatic conditions.

Growing seedlings based on smart technologies is of particular importance for the development of forestry, increasing the efficiency of planting material production, and implementing climate change adaptation measures. Within the framework of the project, training seminars are held on growing seedlings adapted to local climatic conditions, grafting them, and introducing modern agricultural technologies.

In addition, the implementation of the project will make it possible to increase the efficiency of using existing forestry infrastructure, create new jobs, and expand opportunities for propagating various species of trees and shrubs.

The modern complex will allow growing large volumes of tree and shrub planting material, providing forestry enterprises with high-quality seedlings, creating new green zones in the regions of the republic, carrying out reforestation work and creating new forests, as well as preventing desertification in arid areas.

According to Korean specialists, smart greenhouses, in which planting material is grown using modern technologies, have a number of advantages.

One of the main advantages is significant water savings due to the use of advanced technological equipment. Seedlings are grown not directly in the ground, but in special containers, which makes it possible to obtain planting material ready for planting in an average of one year. Automated process management reduces manual labor. All operations are carried out using special software, which contributes to the quality development of seedlings.

Importantly, seedlings grown in special containers under such conditions are significantly easier to transport and plant in mountainous areas. In turn, this also helps reduce costs.

For reference: during the nine months of this year, forestry enterprises belonging to the Forestry Agency system harvested 1,100 tons of tree and shrub seeds for forestry and greening needs. On an area of 1,035 hectares, 101.6 million seedlings and saplings adapted to local soil and climatic conditions are being grown and cared for.

The effectiveness of such large-scale work directly depends on the correct choice of planting material, its high-quality cultivation, and the provision of proper care after planting. The technologies introduced in the smart nursery in Piskent allow for the rational use of water resources, growing planting material in controlled conditions, and improving its quality.

In the future, it is planned to introduce this advanced experience in other forestry enterprises of the republic as well.