14.5 TONS OF SAXAUL SEEDS WERE COLLECTED FOR PLANTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARAL SEA

26 ноября 2021

14.5 tons of saxaul seeds, which are intended for planting on the bottom of the dried-up part of the Aral Sea, were sent to the Kyzylorda region, the correspondent of Khabar 24 reports. The seeds were collected during the last month in the Ile-Balkhash Reserve, which was created as part of the Turan tiger reintroduction project. Extensive saxaul forests also grow in the specially protected area. In September last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced a large-scale program for landscaping the country's territory. It is assumed that two billion trees will be planted in Kazakhstan in four years. The program also involves the landing of a saxaul at the bottom of the dried-up Aral Sea. This is necessary to strengthen the soil and reduce the number of so-called salt storms, from which the vast Central Asian region suffers.

Grigory Bedenko, correspondent:

- Saxaul grows very slowly. For example, such a tree is only 10-15 years old. Therefore, if we sow the bottom of the former Aral Sea with seeds of this plant right now, then the saxaul forest will appear there by about 2030 or 2040. But even the youngest trees have a very powerful root system. And this is an excellent protection against wind erosion of the soil in those places. Given the huge areas on which it is supposed to plant the saxaul, our scientists suggested using aviation. The seeds will be dispersed over the Aral Sea with the help of aircraft equipped with special equipment. This technology was used in Soviet times, but then it was forgotten in Kazakhstan. Although in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea, aerial sowing is still practiced. To sow the saxaul is entrusted to "Kazavialesookhran". A tender has been announced now. In total, it is planned to use four AN-2 aircraft. But first you need to collect enough seeds.

Zhanibek Dzhubaniyazov, General Director of the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve:

- This year the situation is quite difficult – there was a drought. Therefore, the yield is quite low, including in our country. But, in principle, we have a large territory of the reserve covered with saxaul, so we were able to collect the necessary amount. But in other areas, as far as I know, their yields are very low there. In order to collect the required amount of seeds, specialists from almost all national parks and reserves of the Almaty region were involved. This process took about a month.

Leonid Sidorenko, Head of the Almaty Territorial Inspectorate of Forestry and Wildlife:

- Collecting is very difficult. You have seen that a specially made device is being hung. Saxaul bends down, fights back. Then it needs to be sifted somehow, because a very large amount of garbage gets there. It is a very difficult process to clean these seeds. Because with garbage, it turns out, in general, an incredible amount of containers and transport will be needed. In the reserve, 14.5 tons of saxaul seeds were prepared for shipment to the Kyzylorda region - this is 1,700 bags. If the weather permits, the second batch will be assembled and sent. The most important thing is not to let the seeds get wet, as they absorb moisture very quickly and become covered with mold. According to the plan, the aerial sowing of Saksaul in the Aral Sea should begin in early December of this year.

Authors: Grigory Bedenko, Aben Narynbayev.

https://24.kz/ru/news/social/item/510423-14-5-tonn-semyan-saksaula-sobrali-dlya-posadki-na-dne-arala

Категория: News