Unit of Agrarian Technologies

The goal of our activities is to integrate research and educational potential of Astrakhan State University, the All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable & Melon Cultivation (an affiliate of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences), the All-Russian Research Institute of Animal Breeding (also (an affiliate of the RAAS), and the Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute (another affiliate of the RAAS) to undertake joint research and development activities in the field of ecological farming on the base of our Unit. Our goal is also to establish appropriate conditions for training and retraining research specialists of top qualification, as well as to involve young scientists and students in R & D activities related to ecological farming and in joint innovative research and educational activities.

The following structure of our Unit contributes to meet the set goals:

• Our research laboratories that tackle issues of developing the theoretical fundamentals and models to adapt ecologically safe technologies to conditions of Astrakhan Region:
  • the Laboratory of Monitoring Soil Vegetation Cover (jointly with the Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute);
  • the Laboratory of Ecological Vegetable Cultivation (jointly with the All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable & Melon Cultivation);
  • the Laboratory of Ecological Animal Breeding (jointly with the All-Russian Research Institute of Animal Breeding);
• Our Educational Section that performs the following key activities:
  • development and introduction of educational programs in ecological farming into the educational process of the Agrarian Department;
  • attraction of top scholars from research institutes to give lectures and supervise our students’ research activities;
  • arrangement of conferences and seminars in ecological farming for scientists, for students of the Agrarian Department, for our local farmers, and for trainees from European countries who cover training programs in agriculture at Astrakhan State University;
• Our International Section that is in charge of:
  • developing cooperation with European universities and their divisions that specialize in agriculture and in ecological farming;
  • establishment of links with educational unions of Europe that arrange students’ and farmers’ practical trainings and studies, as well as with unions of Europe’s ecological farmers.