Jerusalem artichoke defeated mutant (Sosnovsky's hogweed)

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In June this year, Gatchinskaya Pravda spoke about the beginning of a unique experiment to destroy Sosnovsky's hogweed with Jerusalem artichoke. Scientists planted Jerusalem artichoke tubers directly in the hogweed, which stood as a wall in the field of the experimental station of the Agrophysical Research Institute in the village of Menkovo.

We hasten to please: Jerusalem artichoke has won in the competition of two cultures!

The intermediate results of the experiment in Menkovo were summed up in mid-October during the Russian-Chinese practical conference "Jerusalem artichoke and its capabilities." Most of the scientists' meeting took place in the field, where impressive results were demonstrated. On the site where the experiment was carried out, a forest of green Jerusalem artichoke with flowering tops rose in dense rows. From all sides, where Jerusalem artichoke was not planted, the hogweed continues to stand like a wall. Aircraft circled over the field, transmitting information about crops from above. Everyone gathered at the computer monitor. The testimonies confirmed that there is no hogweed at the planting site of Jerusalem artichoke.

- The international practical conference is held within the framework of the program of the Union State of Russia and the Republic of Belarus "Innovative development of potato and Jerusalem artichoke production in 2013-2016", - said the head of the peasant farm Natalya Anushkevich, the program executor in the North-West region. - The task has been set: to increase the planting area by more than 20 times, to introduce culture to the masses, to form a market for healthy food products and to introduce hectares of unused land into circulation. Including substitution of Jerusalem artichoke variety "Skorospelka" of Sosnovsky hogweed. Thus, to make a certain breakthrough in the agricultural sector.

- The program operates throughout Russia, - emphasized Sergei Ponomarev, general director of ATP Razvitie LLC, executor of the Union State program in Russia. - The North-West region has been chosen as one of the pilot and first regions in which a scientific experiment is being conducted to combat hogweed using Jerusalem artichoke, prototypes of equipment and technological processes provided for in this research program are tested. Being on this field, we all see - Jerusalem artichoke wins!

From the very beginning, before the experiment and after planting, the scientists observed and recorded what was happening in the field. The number of hogweed plants per square meter was regularly measured throughout the summer. Information about the results of the experiment will be recorded and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

Jerusalem artichoke was introduced to Russia in the 17th century as a medicinal plant. People are afraid to plant Jerusalem artichoke because they know little about it. You can often hear: why replace one weed with another? As Natalya Anushkevich explained, in contrast to the hogweed, Jerusalem artichoke is a nurse plant. Moreover, the plant is beautiful. In a short period of time, it can improve the ecological situation along the roads, in the industrial center of the city. It absorbs carbon dioxide twice as much as a coniferous forest. And it releases three times more oxygen into the air. Jerusalem artichoke is planted in landfills, in industrial zones, in places of oil production, on other lands taken out of agricultural use, and after three years the soil fully restores its fertility.

If necessary, getting rid of Jerusalem artichoke is quite simple. Such an experiment was carried out in the Kirovsky district of the Leningrad region on 2 hectares of field. After germination, they plowed it twice and … that's it, Jerusalem artichoke is gone. In suburban conditions, it is enough to dig up the seedlings once.

The conference was attended by the head of the Department of Potato Genetic Resources, Doctor of Biological Sciences of the V. I. Vavilova Stepan Kiru. Stepan Dmitrievich is the curator of the world's largest Jerusalem artichoke seed collection in Russia, responsible for interaction with the Chinese side. Representatives of the leading agricultural research institutes in China came to our country to exchange practical experience and seed collections. This is not the first meeting. In August, our scientists took part in an international symposium in China.

“We cooperate in the field of Jerusalem artichoke with the universities of Beijing and the Mongolian autonomy of China,” says Stepan Dmitrievich. - There is a real boom in China now. All provinces, where possible, grow Jerusalem artichoke and are interested in further increasing the area. Jerusalem artichoke is a universal culture. In China, it is processed. First of all, alcohol. Six plants for the production of inulin were built. It is an organic substance that helps in the utilization of glucose and in the establishment of normal blood sugar levels. The Chinese will soon start exporting inulin to other countries. In China, thousands of hectares of land have been salinized. They introduced the cultivation of Jerusalem artichoke in salt marshes. The Chinese have large land development projects by growing Jerusalem artichoke. This is their strategic goal. Unfortunately, our economy has no such interest in growing Jerusalem artichoke. We have such rich genetic resources, but we should already learn from the Chinese the experience of introducing and expanding the area of Jerusalem artichoke cultivation.

The conference continued in another field, where a new seed collection of Jerusalem artichoke planted this year is growing. Scientists decided to duplicate in the Gatchina region the collection of the Maikop station - one of the largest in the world. In March, out of 400 varieties, 300 were brought from 30 countries. Then they added 20 more from Belarus, and 20 varieties were brought for exchange by our Chinese colleagues.

In mid-October, the collection was still green. Tall plants rose 2-3 meters. On the tablets, exotic names were replaced by more familiar ones - like "Leningradsky variety".

When is Jerusalem artichoke harvesting? As Natalya Anushkevich explained, if you need tubers, you will have to wait. With the first frost, all nutrients go into the tubers. The green part turns to dust and can be easily mowed. And you can dig up the tubers. If you need green mass, for example, for feeding animals and birds, then Jerusalem artichoke is mowed before flowering.

The entire collection (five tubers of each variety) was manually planted by employees of the Agrophysical Research Institute. The machines have only worked the soil. Planted across a row, leaving 35-45 cm between plants. Weeds were also manually removed and the tubers were dug when the time came. Physically, the process is laborious. But then the germination rate is 100 percent.

And at first even Stepan Dmitrievich was very careful about what was happening. This is the Leningrad Region - a zone of risky farming. How can a collection be duplicated here? Moreover, practically on virgin lands, where nothing was grown for 20 years. When they dug up tubers for exchange with the Chinese delegation, they were amazed. From a bush - 3-5 kg.

Another interesting fact. In the Leningrad region, due to the rainy summer, a lot of the harvest has been lost this year. Jerusalem artichoke has no diseases at all. He is unpretentious, the weather and pests are not afraid of him.

Jerusalem artichoke, also known as the earthen pear or Jerusalem artichoke, is widely used in the culinary, medical and cosmetic fields. The participants of the meeting were told about the benefits of the product at the presentation at the set table with various healthy sweets, marmalade, syrups and teas.

The usefulness of Jerusalem artichoke is explained, first of all, by its composition. It is rich in vitamins B and C. The root vegetable contains many macro and microelements necessary for the human body. Among them are calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, mineral salts. It also contains amino acids.

For a person, not only root crops are useful, but also the leaves of a plant, its stems, flowers. As a rule, they are used for the preparation of tinctures, decoctions, powders. In pharmacology, beneficial properties have been known for a long time. They are used in the manufacture of medicines, fees, a variety of dietary supplements. It is useful to drink juice from this root vegetable.

To me personally, boiled Jerusalem artichoke resembles potatoes or chestnuts, and in its raw form it is more like turnips. What can be prepared from Jerusalem artichoke? A lot of healthy dishes: porridge, cutlets, green salad or winter salad with Jerusalem artichoke and raw vegetables, or you can bake it with cheese. Bon Appetit!