Guest lecture 

6.3.2024

A guest lecture “Genetic Resources of the Research Station of Medicinal Plants: Introduction and Use” was held. 

Students and teachers of all specialties of the Institute of Natural and Agrarian Sciences attended a guest lecture held for them by Tetiana SHEVCHENKO, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, senior researcher of the Department of Ecology and Pharmacognosy of the Research Station of Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, collector of the botanical nursery, responsible executor of the program task ” Genetic Resources of Plants of Ukraine” and Mykola KOLOSOVYCH, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, scientific secretary of the Research Station of Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences, task leader of the program “Genetic Resources of Plants of Ukraine”.

This guest lecture was devoted to a number of important issues, such as: ways and features of the introduction of medicinal plants; positive and negative aspects of the introduction process; genetic diversity of the collections of the Research Station of Medicinal Plants; ways of replenishing collections and using gene pool samples. Employees of the Research Station of Medicinal Plants carry out numerous expeditions to collect the local gene pool of cultivated plants and wild plant species on the territory of Ukraine. The listeners were interested in the selection methods used to create new varieties of medicinal plants. In the Medicinal Plants Research Station, not only collections of medicinal plants (including rare and endangered species) are grown, but also a number of new varieties have been created, for example, Althea medicinal (Gradion Guardian), Burdock True (Grade Etalon) and many others. In addition, introduction processes affect the ecological balance and are an urgent problem today, as Ms. Tetiana said: “The current practice of spontaneous introduction of plants in Ukraine poses a serious threat to the country’s ecological and economic security. It contributes to the uncontrolled spread of new quarantine pests, diseases and weeds, restrains the development of domestic nurseries, contributes to the outflow of currency funds abroad, but does not make it possible to create and introduce into production forms of introducers adapted to urban conditions.”

We are sincerely grateful to Ms. Tetiana, Mr. Mykola and our partners – the Research Station of Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for a meaningful and interesting lecture, a useful professional meeting, and we hope for further cooperation!

Educational and Research Institute of Natural and Agrarian Sciences