Greenhouse of Bilа Tserkva National Agrarian University as a base for horticulture specialists training

Abstract

Aims. The taxonomic composition, origin, life forms, climatic groups, and decorative properties of indoor plants have been analyzed and the ways of expanding their range were proposed within the framework of training qualified specialists to work with indoor plants in the greenhouse of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University. Methods. Current requirements for training horticulture specialists in the specialty 206 "Horticulture" were analyzed according to the Standards of Higher Education of Ukraine for the first/bachelor (Ministerstvo..., 2019), second/master (Ministerstvo..., 2020) and third/PhD (Ministerstvo..., 2021) levels of higher education and according to programs of Bila Tserkva National University. The taxonomic composition and origin of the plants of the BTNAU greenhouse were determined according to the descriptions by Semen Saakov (1985). The validity of scientific plant names was checked against the online database of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (POWO, 2022). Results. The greenhouse of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, a useful area of 98.7 m² performs educational, research, production, and enlightenment functions. Now the collection of indoor ornamental plants in the greenhouse of the BTNAU comprises 116 species and 23 hybrids belonging to 92 genera and 42 families, which come from different climatic regions of the world. About 95% of the plants in the greenhouse are herbaceous plants, 2.5% of the plants are represented by tree and shrub species, and the same number make ramble and ampelous species. Representatives of the families Cactaceae Juss., Amarillidaceae J.St.-Hil., Begoniaceae C. Agardh., Araceae Juss., Crassulaceae J.St.-Hil., Asphodelaceae Juss., Commelinaceae Mirb., Bromeliaceae Juss., Euphorbiaceae Juss. are most widely represented in the collection. The analysis of the spatial placement of plants in the greenhouse showed that they all come from different natural habitats, are of different ages, and are planted randomly without observing a certain order. The oldest plants are 20-25 years old. The distribution of the range of greenhouse plants by origin shows that South Africa (18.7%), Central and South America (18.7%), South America (15.9%), and Southeast Asia (13.2%) have the greatest diversity of species. 7.5% of plants originated from the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, and America. 5.7% of the greenhouse plants originate from Madagascar, 3.8% — from China and Japan, 3.7% — from the Mediterranean area, 1.9% — from North America, and 1.9% — from North and South America. The flora of Australia is represented by only one species of Cordyline australis (G. Forst) Hook. F. and makes 0.9%. Species introduced in the greenhouse clearly differ in the temperature regime. Conclusions. According to the temperature regime of the greenhouse, it is advisable to divide the plant zones into the tropics, subtropics, dry subtropics, the Mediterranean plant zone, and the Asian plant zone and place them in the greenhouse in zonal collections or groups. Plant species and hybrids can be planted according to their geographical origin by creating nooks of the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. The assortment of plants can be expanded due to the introduction of species and hybrids from Australia, North America, the Mediterranean, China, and Japan, and the introduction of coniferous, epiphytic, and ground-cover tropical and subtropical species and hybrids into the collection.