Institute of botany, plant physiology and genetics

Institute of Botany, Plant Physiology and Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan was established by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in February 4, 2011 through the unification of the Institute of Botany, and Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. H.H. Hisoriev was appointed as Director of the Institute. Currently, Institute has 57 academic staff, 12 doctors (including 1 academician, 4 corresponding member of the AS RT) and 22 candidates of science.

Institute was headed by the academician, Hero of Socialist Labor P.N. Ovchinnikov (1941-1977), corr. member M.R. Rasulov (1977-1987), academician A.N. Maksumov (1987-1992), corr. member M.I. Ismailov (1992-1996), Dr. A.A. Madaminov (Acting 1996-1998) and corr. member H.H. Hisoriev (1998-2011).

The main directions of the scientific researches of Institute are:

• the systematic study of the flora of the higher and lower plants
• botanical resources investigations
• geobotanical studies
• vegetation mapping of Tajikistan
• development of theoretical foundations and methods of using the achievements of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
• genetics and molecular biology to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis
• high-yielding
• resistant to unfavorable factors crop varieties and improved technologies, the use of biotechnological methods in plant breeding
• Environmentally-plant physiology and biochemistry.

The Institute includes:

• Department of flora and plant systematics
• ecology laboratory and plant resources, Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Plant Productivity
• Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
• Laboratory of Biochemistry of photosynthesis
• Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Herbarium Fund
• Hissar Experimental Station
• Highland Biological Station “Siekuh” (2300 m above sea level)
• Varzob mountain botanical station “Kondara” (1200-2600 m above sea level).

Dissertation council at the institute during 987-2011, has defended 23 doctoral and 92 candidate's theses. The staff of the Institute defended 12 doctoral and 45 candidate's theses.

As a result of huge work of botanists, florists in the territory of Tajikistan, almost 120 families, 994 genus and 4513 species are found. In addition, more than 200 new species are described and more than 600 endemic species are recoded that grow only in the territory of Tajikistan. Further 300 identified species need emergency protection and should be included in the second edition of the Red Book of Tajikistan.

Great contribution to the compilation of 10-volumes of “Flora of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic”, that is part of the golden fund of world literature on the biodiversity of plants is done by P.N. Ovchinnikov, V.I. Zapryagaeva, M.R. Rasulova, A.P. Chukavina, T.K. Kinzikaeva, T.F. Kochkareva, S.Yu. Yunusov, L.N. Abdusalyamova, S.B. Astanova and many others.

Along with the study of the flora of higher plants, much attention was paid to the flora and spore plants of Tajikistan. The beginning of algological research in Tajikistan is associated with the name of hydro biologist I.A. Kiselev (1951), who described several new species of algae from mountain water reservoirs of the Republic. His works have continued in a number of monographs of Tajik researchers (Melnikova, 1975, Boot 1975, Bazova, 1978; Hisoriev, 1993).

Since mid-90's, a new direction of botanical researches is originated. As a result of years of research in Tajikistan, more than 2,500 species of fresh water, soil and rock algae, 2,000 species of micro-and macromycetes, more than 300 species of lichens and more than 400 species of deciduous and liverworts were introduced.

The most important achievements of the researches on the lower plants of practical importance are the studies on algae and their role in wastewater treatment in the development of forage fish farms, the use of mosses, lichens, algae and fungi in the monitoring of anthropogenic pollution and bio indication of environment.

The main area of research laboratory of ecology and plant resources is the study of vegetation patterns in Tajikistan and its distribution in relation to the vertical zonation.

Ph.D. student S. Yusupov is doing filed investigations

Stationary ecological and biological studies of plant communities of Pamir-Alai were conducted over the vertical profile of the mountains. Characteristic for flora of Tajikistan, fodder, food and plants was introduced and their biological and ecological singularity was studied. Their stock and value in the national economy was defined. The methods of their use and initial introductions were developed. The reaction of some 200 species of plants to the changes in the level of mineral nutrition is determined. The high responsiveness of fertilizer of most dominant pastures and hayfields was found.

Research has found more than 800 botanical species of plants containing biologically active substances. Research areas for the development of medicinal plants and their protection were developed. Biological characteristics of Ungern Victor, ephedra horsetail, yarrow, ordinary, Elecampane, and attar roses were studied.

In the laboratory of molecular biology and biotechnology, an existence of membrane-bound forms Rubisko in higher plants was experimentally proved. 

Corresponding member K.A. Aliev is teaching of young specialists to methods of planting of Potato

Together with the Institute of Horticulture and Vegetable of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Tajik Agricultural University, virus free seed potatoes were introduced into the production system. The results of these studies were implemented in a number of potato specialized farms of Tajikistan.

In the laboratory of biochemistry of photosynthesis, chloroplasts of C3 plants enzymes, responsible for the synthesis and metabolism of C4-dicarboxylic acids was introduced.  New concepts of possibility and necessity of the operation elements C4-carbon metabolism in the chloroplast of C3 plants was formulated. 

Мodel experiments on study climate influence to weat plants (Dr. B.B. Giyasidinov, Dr. T.P. Usmanov, Dr. I.A. Saboiev)

In the laboratory of photosynthesis and plant productivity, genetic determination of traits, the number of leaves on the plant, total leaf surface of plants is shown. By laboratory staff with the breeder Sh.T. Burnashev, medium grade staple cotton Rohati, Gulistan, Gulistan-2, Ravshan, Somoni and Shaukat-80 was introduced. Grades Gulistan and Gulistan-2 were sown in the republic on an area of more than 10 thousand hectares.

In recent years, molecular genomic analysis of native wheat and four species of goat grass of Tajikistan was carried out. Intraspecific morphological diversity and variability of individual components of gliadin proteins, depending on the environmental and climatic factors, and habitat of the species was installed. The collection of species of goat grass growing in the different eco-climatic zones of Tajikistan was collected and cataloged.

Using a collection of mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, it was designed and created multiply line labeled with different genes and signaling “system test” to evaluate the effect of extreme factors and anthropogenic influences on the gene pool of plant populations and to analyze the mechanisms of plant adaptation.

On the obtained mutant forms of photosynthetic Arabidopsis, regularities of genotypic variability in a number of features of the photosynthetic apparatus to determine the mechanisms of genetic control of the process of photosynthesis with the ability to control productivity of plants on the physiological and genetic basis was studied. In the future, the effect of endogenous and exogenous factors on the penetrance and expressivity of genes that determine the characteristics of the photosynthetic apparatus will be studied. Valuable mutant lines that exceed the rate of growth, development and productivity of plant Arabidopsis will be provided.

The Institute collected and created a unique herbarium in Central Asia Fund, which contains a rich collection of plants in the region of more than 200,000 herbarium specimens of vascular plants, bryophytes 28,000 sheets, 15,000 specimens of lichens, more than 15,000 samples and algological products collected in the mountain of the Pamir-Alai by the scientists during 1876-2010.

As a result of years of field research, study of the distribution of forest vegetation sequence in Tajikistan and in the surrounding areas of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan in the system of Pamir-Alai is defined due to its vertical profile. This led to the conclusion that the range of fruit cultivated in the mountains was formed by cultivation of their wild relatives. The mountains of the Pamir-Alai are recognized as one of the world's cultural centers of origin, including fruit trees.

Varzob mountain botanic station “Kondara” 

In the coming years, there will be a further development of ecological, floristic and plant research. In addition, the State Environmental Program of the Republic of Tajikistan until 2015 and Programs and innovative development of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2011-2020 in under process.